ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Thursday that Pakistan was working with Croatia to expedite the European country’s visa processing facility in Islamabad, stressing the move would facilitate Pakistanis who currently have to travel to Tehran to get their visas processed.
The deputy prime minister was speaking at a joint press stakeout with Croation Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlić Radman. The Croatian minister arrived in the country on the first-ever official trip to Pakistan by a Croatian foreign minister, as Islamabad seeks to expand political and economic engagement with European Union members.
Speaking at the news conference, Dar highlighted that Pakistani nationals currently have to go to Tehran to get their Croatian visas processed as there is no Croatian visa processing facility in the South Asian country.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to mention that we are working together to expedite the opening of Croatian visa processing facility in Islamabad,” Dar said. “And I am grateful that excellency has agreed that because our applicants they have to go to Tehran for visa processing.”
Dar said he requested Radman that a visa processing facility be established in the Pakistani capital or an alternate such as the aviation, travel, and visa services company Gerry’s be set up in Islamabad.
“So, the excellency has given me a very positive response,” he added.
Radman said Croatia welcomes people-to-people linkages between the two countries. Hence, he said Croatia would like to see a visa processing facility for Pakistani applicants in Pakistan.
“We look forward to the opening of the Croatian visa processing facility in Pakistan soon,” he soon. “And we are grateful for your help in this matter.”
Dar said both sides held discussions on cooperating in the sectors of trade, investment, development, agriculture, labor mobility, education, defense, tourism, infrastructure, seaports and others.
He said both sides will also hold a business-to-business trade forum “in the future” between the two private sectors of Croatia and Pakistan. He invited Croatia to benefit from Pakistan’s investment policies.
Radman’s visit comes as Pakistan looks to strengthen ties with Europe through greater trade, investment and diplomatic cooperation. Croatia, which joined the European Union in 2013, has increasingly sought to expand its engagement beyond the bloc, while Pakistan has been working to deepen economic and political partnerships with European countries.
Earlier, the Croatian foreign minister met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad, Sharif’s office said in a statement.
“He expressed Pakistan’s desire to further strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly through enhanced trade and investment, information technology, connectivity, agriculture, tourism and skilled manpower,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) added.
