ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Myanmar have agreed to strengthen cooperation to ensure consular support for each other’s nationals, especially those who fall victims to scamming gangs, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Monday. 

Scam centers in Myanmar’s lawless border areas are a criminal industry reportedly worth billions of dollars a year. Thousands of foreign workers staff these centers, trawling social media for victims to fleece, often through romance or investment cons. Many workers say they were trafficked or tricked into taking the work by gangs who run these centers. Many workers have spoken about being beaten up and abused. Myanmar’s ongoing civil war has also complicated efforts to tackle the scam compounds, as most are in areas outside the ruling junta’s control.

Myanmar’s Foreign Minister Than Swe arrived in Pakistan on Saturday on a four-day visit to discuss various areas of cooperation between the two countries. 

“The two sides also agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation to facilitate consular assistance to each other’s nationals, particularly with regard to victims of scamming gangs,” Dar, who is also Pakistan’s foreign minister, told reporters during a joint press stakeout with Swe. 

“In this regard, it was agreed to maintain close coordination through relevant channels to ensure collective cooperation.”

Dar said both countries have also signed a memorandum of understanding on political consultations between the foreign offices of Pakistan and Myanmar.

 “This institutional mechanism will facilitate regular engagement and sustain dialogue on bilateral, regional and international issues,” Dar said. 

Swe said Myanmar wished to sign more agreements with Pakistan to promote and protect trade and investment between the two countries. 

“Not only the government-to-government cooperation, we expect to have more cooperation between business-to-business,” he said. 

Pakistan and Myanmar’s ties date back to 1948, with Islamabad being among the first countries to recognize Myanmar as it gained independence.