ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Monday presided over a high-level inter-ministerial meeting to assess steps aimed at enhancing Pakistan’s trade and economic cooperation with the European Union.
During the meeting, FM Dar highlighted the need to further strengthen and broaden economic and trade engagement with the EU, stressing that it remains one of Pakistan’s most important economic partners, particularly through the GSP Plus scheme.
“Pakistan has successfully completed four biennial GSP Plus reviews,” he said, while reiterating the country’s resolve to fully comply with its commitments under the arrangement in order to promote greater mutually beneficial trade.
The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Bajwa, Secretary Foreign Affairs Ambassador Amna Baloch, the secretaries of commerce, interior, overseas Pakistanis and human rights, Pakistan’s ambassador to the EU, and senior officials from relevant federal and provincial institutions.
GSP Plus is a special trade incentive granted by the European Union to developing countries, allowing duty-free access to most exports, subject to the effective implementation of international conventions related to human and labour rights, environmental protection, and good governance.
Earlier, on January 29, the European Union’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Raimundas Karoblis, met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister’s Office in Islamabad.
During the meeting, the prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to close collaboration with the EU on initiatives designed to enhance trade, particularly under the GSP Plus framework.
Welcoming the EU ambassador, who assumed office in Pakistan only a few months ago, PM Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan’s determination to further deepen cooperation with the EU across a wide range of areas, including trade, investment, development, security, migration, and climate change.
He also underlined the vital role of the GSP Plus scheme in strengthening Pakistan–EU trade ties and said the government remained committed to working closely with the EU on mutually beneficial trade expansion initiatives, especially through the GSP Plus.
