FM Qureshi leaves for Belgium for sixth round of Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue 

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will be visiting Belgium from December 6 to 8 to co-chair the sixth round of Pakistan-European Union Strategic Dialogue, the Pakistani foreign office said on Sunday.
Pakistan and Belgium enjoy cordial and friendly relations, based on shared values of democracy, pluralism, mutual respect and close cooperation.
Over the years, the partnership has grown stronger in diverse fields, including political, economic, trade, education and culture, and people-to-people contacts. With a trade volume of $982 million, Belgium is the fifth largest trading partner of Pakistan in the EU.
The foreign minister is visiting Brussels on the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Belgium Sophie Wilmes, the foreign office said in a statement.
“As a key component of the visit, the foreign minister will co-chair the 6th round of Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue with EU High Representative and Vice President Josep Borrell,” the statement read.
“The European Union is one of the largest trade and investment partners of Pakistan and the current volume of bilateral trade stands at US $10.883 billion. Pakistan’s relations with EU are manifested in frequent and close engagements through structured dialogues.”
The two sides signed the Pakistan-EU Strategic Engagement Plan (SEP) in June 2019, which provides solid framework and blue print for future cooperation. This would be the first in-person session of the strategic dialogue since the signing of the landmark SEP, according to the foreign office.
It follows the seventh round of Pakistan-EU Political Dialogue, which was virtually co-chaired by Pakistani Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood and EU Deputy Secretary-General Enrique Mora on December 3.