ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar will visit Brussels this week to co-chair the seventh session of the Pakistan–European Union Strategic Dialogue, the foreign office said on Wednesday, where the two sides will review bilateral cooperation across all sectors.
The Strategic Dialogue is the highest level of institutionalized interaction between the two sides during which they review cooperation across all sectors under the Pakistan-EU Strategic Engagement Plan 2019.
The Strategic Engagement Plan, signed in 2019, is the main framework guiding Pakistan-EU cooperation on political, economic and security issues, including trade, migration, development, climate change and education.
Dar will undertake a visit to Brussels from Nov. 19-21 to co-chair the seventh session of the dialogue, the statement said.
“The deputy prime minister/foreign minister’s visit to Brussels marks a significant milestone in Pakistan-EU relations,” it said.
“Pakistan remains committed to developing a comprehensive and mutually beneficial partnership with the EU.”
During the visit, Dar will also participate in the fourth EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum and meet senior EU officials on the sidelines of the event.
The EU is one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners, accounting for more than 30 percent of exports under the GSP Plus preferential trade scheme.
This scheme grants countries’ exports duty-free access to the European market in exchange for voluntarily agreeing to implement 27 international core conventions, including those on human and civil rights.
More than 300 EU companies already operate in Pakistan, while the European Investment Bank has supported major projects in water, sanitation and energy.
