The European Union’s (EU) top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, on Monday termed Pakistan a major regional power and an important partner of the EU as the two sides held a strategic dialogue in Islamabad.
Kallas is visiting Pakistan at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
Both co-chaired the 8th EU-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue, which is the highest-level platform for structured discussion between the two sides.
Addressing a joint press conference, Kallas said, “Today, in our strategic dialogue, we affirmed our shared commitment to strengthening EU-Pakistan ties even further,” she stated.
Kallas noted that her visit came at an “important moment”, adding that the “world and this region have experienced profound changes” since the two sides met in November last year.
Kallas pointed out that the EU remained “by far Pakistan’s largest export destination”, adding that it was larger than the US and China combined.
She further said Pakistan was the “world’s leading beneficiary” of the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+).
At the same time, Kallas stressed: “But GSP+ has clear conditions. Continued preferential access to the EU market depends on progress in implementing the international conventions underpinning the scheme.
“I’m also impressed that Pakistan tops the EU’s global Erasmus Mundus Scholarships rankings again, the fifth year in a row,” she said.
Providing details of the dialogue, the visiting diplomat said she and Dar exchanged views on “pressing global developments, including in the Middle East”.
Noting Pakistan was the “main mediator” between the US and Iran, Kallas told Dar: “Your diplomatic efforts have helped prevent a return to full-blown war on several occasions and these efforts are much recognised and appreciated across Europe.”
The EU diplomat also noted that Pakistan had been “locked in a conflict with Afghanistan”, adding that the fighting in recent weeks had “grave humanitarian consequences and also risks fuelling further instability and radicalisation”.
In his address, Dar said both sides took stock of progress made on cooperation under the sectors outlined in the Strategic Engagement Plan (SEP) 2019, including trade, investment, development, human rights, and rule of law, migration and mobility, and security and counterterrorism.
Dar further noted that the EU was among Pakistan’s major trading partners, with a trade volume of €12 billion.
“Our discussions focused on further enhancing bilateral trade and investment ties between the EU and Pakistan,” Dar reiterated, detailing that both sides also assessed the “first-ever Pakistan-EU Business Forum in April as a welcome development”.
Dar expressed hope that the business forum could become a “regular feature” of Pakistan-EU ties. He said the two also held an “in-depth” discussion on regional and global issues, which included the “US-Iran conflict, the security situation in South Asia, Afghanistan, Europe and the Middle East”.
On India-occupied Kashmir, Dar said he “apprised her excellency of our concerns regarding unprovoked Indian aggression and Pakistan’s principal position on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, advocating for its resolution according to the wishes of the Kashmiri people in line with UN Security Council resolutions”.
He also briefed the EU high representative on Pakistan’s position on the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), recalling the May 15 supplemental award by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).
In opening remarks before the dialogue, Dar said, “We have a great relationship with the EU; there is a great history. Pakistan sees considerable untapped potential in our cooperation.”
He noted, “We have a number of areas where we can work together, particularly trade and many other areas.”