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PM reaffirms EU ties, thanks Kallas for support for Gulf peace efforts
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday met the European Unionโs (EU) top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, at the PM House, where he reaffirmed Pakistanโs commitment to cooperation with the EU and thanked EU leadership for its strong support for Pakistanโs peace efforts in the Gulf region. Kallas, who serves as vice-president of the Euroยญpean Commission and the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy (HR/VP), is visiting Pakistan at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. According to a statement by the Prime Ministerโs Office (PMO), the premier said that Pakistan was keen to further strengthen its multifaceted partnership with the EU. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) Tariq Fatemi and other senior officials were also present, the statement said. PM Shehbaz expressed satisfaction at the 8th round of the EU-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue held earlier today. โThe prime minister reaffirmed Pakistanโs commitment to enhancing cooperation with the EU in key areas including trade and investment, climate change, security, migration, sustainable development, and connectivity,โ the statement said. In this regard, it added, he highlighted the important role of GSP+ in ensuring stronger trade ties between Pakistan and the EU. Discussions also focused on the regional and international situation, with the premier thanking the EU leadership for its strong support for Pakistanโs efforts for peace in the Middle East. He said that Dar and Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir were playing a โcrucial roleโ in these efforts. He especially called on the international community, including the EU, to work collectively to ensure lasting peace in the region, the PMO said. It added that he shared Pakistanโs perspective on the regional situation in South Asia, as well as on Afghanistan, with Kallas, also conveying his best wishes to EU Council President Antonio Costa and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and reiterating his invitations to both leaders to visit Pakistan soon. Kallas โappreciated the role played by Pakistan for regional peace and conveyed the EUโs strong interest in deepening strategic engagement with Pakistanโ, the statement said. โImportant partnerโ Kallas, earlier today, termed Pakistan a major regional power and an important partner of the EU as the two sides held a strategic dialogue in Islamabad. She co-chaired the dialogue with Dar, which is the highest-level platform for structured discussion between the two sides. Addressing a joint press conference, Kallas said, โPakistan is a major regional power and an important partner for the European Union. โToday, in our strategic dialogue, we affirmed our shared commitment to strengthening EU-Pakistan ties even further,โ she stated. Kallas noted that her visit came at an โimportant momentโ, adding that the โworld and this region have experienced profound changesโ since the two sides met in November last year. Kallas pointed out that the EU remained โby far Pakistanโs largest export destinationโ, adding that it was larger than the US and China combined. She further said Pakistan was the โworldโs leading beneficiaryโ of the EUโs Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+). At the same time, Kallas stressed: โBut GSP+ has clear conditions. Continued preferential access to the EU market depends on progress in implementing the international conventions underpinning the scheme. โThis includes good governance, environmental protection and particularly, labour and human rights. We look to Pakistan to demonstrate tangible progress on these issues.โ Kallas said Pakistan and the EU were deepening cooperation on a wide range of issues, including climate resilience, digital infrastructure, clean energy, migration and mobility. She remarked that people-to-people links were also an โimportant partโ of the partnership. โIโm also impressed that Pakistan tops the EUโs global Erasmus Mundus Scholarships rankings again, the fifth year in a row,โ she said. Providing details of the dialogue, the visiting diplomat said she and Dar exchanged views on โpressing global developments, including in the Middle Eastโ. Noting Pakistan was the โmain mediatorโ between the US and Iran, Kallas told Dar: โYour diplomatic efforts have helped prevent a return to full-blown war on several occasions and these efforts are much recognised and appreciated across Europe.โ She added, โWith your support, there is now a tenuous diplomatic opening to extend the ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Yet, any temporary understanding between the US and Iran must be followed by deeper talks about Tehranโs nuclear stockpile and other critical issues. โLasting stability will require more encompassing solutions,โ she emphasised, affirming that the EU was ready to contribute to a sustainable and peaceful solution. โWe bring economic leverage, hard-won nuclear expertise, long-standing relationships with partners across the Gulf and direct engagement with Iran itself,โ Kallas said. โI see a concrete role for the EU in helping to make any eventual agreement durable, whether through maritime operations, economic incentives that support long-term stability or other issues.โ The EU diplomat also noted that Pakistan had been โlocked in a conflict with Afghanistanโ, adding that the fighting in recent weeks had โgrave humanitarian consequences and also risks fuelling further instability and radicalisationโ. โThis is why we have constantly called on both sides to exercise restraint and de-escalation. Pakistan has the right to defend itself and its people in line with the international law,โ she said. Speaking at the joint press conference, Dar termed Kallasโs visit a โsignificant milestoneโ in Pakistan-EU bilateral relations. Dar said that the gap between the last EU-Pakistan dialogue in November 2025 and this one was โprobably in our history the minimum between any two statesโ. He noted that the last visit by the EU high representative took place in 2019, followed by โvirtually no visits for seven yearsโ. Therefore, he added, Kallasโs visit โsignifies the growing momentum in EU-Pakistan partnershipโ. He noted that the EU high representative has remained his โfrequent interlocutorโ, adding that their candid exchanges reflected the trust between Pakistan and the EU. โWe have been constantly in touch during the last yearโs India-Pakistan war and so are we in touch during the regional conflict between the US and Iran,โ Dar said. โWe believe that the EU as an institution embodies the universal ideals of peace, diplomacy, democracy and commitment to human rights,โ he said, affirming that Islamabad remained committed to constructive engagement with the EU and its member states. During the dialogue, 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 Pakistanโs major trading partners, with a trade volume of โฌ12 billion. โPakistan-EU trade cooperation under the GSP+ framework is a win-win template,โ the deputy PM remarked. โOur discussions today focused on further enhancing bilateral trade and investment ties between the EU and Pakistan,โ Dar reiterated, detailing that both sides also assessed the โfirst-ever Pakistan-EU Business Forum in April as a welcome developmentโ. Dar expressed hope that the business forum could become a โregular featureโ of Pakistan-EU ties. He said the two also held an โin-depthโ discussion on regional and global issues, which included the โUS-Iran conflict, the security situation in South Asia, Afghanistan, Europe and the Middle Eastโ. At this, Dar expressed appreciation to the Kallas for the EUโs โappreciation and supportโ to Pakistanโs efforts in the US-Iran conflict. โWe are humbled by the recognition of our efforts and will continue to work towards finding a comprehensive and lasting solution to the conflict,โ Dar told Kallas. On India-occupied Kashmir, Dar said he โapprised her excellency of our concerns regarding unprovoked Indian aggression and Pakistanโs 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 resolutionsโ. He also briefed the EU high representative on Pakistanโs position on the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), recalling the May 15 supplemental award by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). โPakistani position on IWT stands vindicated after the court of arbitrationโs supplemented award in the IWT proceedings arising from the Ratle and Kishanganga hydroelectric plant disputes. โThe award affirms Pakistanโs central position that the treaty places substantive limits on Indiaโs water control capability on the western rivers,โ Dar emphasised. The two sides also discussed security issues, particularly the terrorist threat that Dar said was emanating from the Afghan soil, stressing that the continued attacks remained a โtop concernโ for Pakistan. Dar said that he also urged the need for the โstrengthening multilateralism and consistent adherence to the fundamental principles of the UN charterโ. He outlined the need โto address the existing and emerging international challenges in an effective and credible mannerโ. Shifting his attention back to relations with the EU, Dar said that the two sides had reaffirmed their โresolve to transform these relations into a comprehensive and mutually beneficial partnershipโ. Concluding his remarks, Dar voiced optimism that the Kallasโs visit will be โone of the manyโ she will undertake to Pakistan in the future. โConsiderable untapped potential in cooperationโ During their meeting, Dar and Kallas โacknowledged the positive trajectory of Pakistan-EU ties and agreed to further strengthen the mutually beneficial partnershipโ, the FO said. โThe two leaders also exchanged views [on] regional and global developments, ahead of the 8th Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue which is being held subsequently,โ it added. In opening remarks before the dialogue, Dar said, โWe have a great relationship with the EU; there is a great history. Pakistan sees considerable untapped potential in our cooperation.โ He noted, โWe have a number of areas where we can work together, particularly trade and many other areas.โ Dar stressed the need to maintain a frequency of six monthsโ gap in strategic dialogues, as was the case between the current and the last dialogue. โWe hold deep appreciation for the EU leadership and your engagement, particularly,โ Dar said. He added that he and Kallas remained in touch on various matters, including the Pakistan-India conflict last year and the ongoing US-Iran war. โWe keep exchanging notes and you have been very kind,โ Dar remarked. โI think this interaction is very welcome,โ he added. Dar mentioned an EU โstrategic vision, which aims at providing long-term direction and strategic cooperation toward partnershipโ. โBuilding upon the Strategic Engagement Plan (SEP) 2019 and Cooperation Agreement 2004, the proposed vision seeks to elevate our engagement into a more comprehensive and forward-looking framework,โ he stated. He added that the โvision document can serve as an important foundation for deepening political understanding, expanding sectoral cooperation and strengthening institutional linkages between Pakistan and the EUโ. Dar highlighted that the continuation of the strategic dialogue โdemonstrates our shared resolve to impart greater momentum to Pakistan-EU relations and to shape a forward-looking partnershipโ. He remarked that the two sides had โgreat discussionsโ in the restricted meetings. The deputy PM expressed the hope that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen would find some time to visit Pakistan, as there was a standing invitation from the prime minister. In her opening remarks, Kallas welcomed the โstrong momentum for EU-Pakistan trade relationsโ. โEU remains by far Pakistanโs largest export destination, and I was surprised to hear that itโs actually more than the US and China combined, so we really are your market,โ the diplomat pointed out. Kallas said: โThis is really showing that the partnership is not only commercially significant, but itโs also a driver of growth. And beyond trade and investment, there are areas where we can explore the deepening of our ties, when it comes to resilience building, climate, digital infrastructure, and migration mobility. โThese are investments in long-term partnership and really looking forward to our discussions today about the regional but also global developments and how we can develop our relationship even further.โ Kallas also commended Dar on โfacilitating the talks between the US and Iranโ. โIt is a conflict that is having an impact on everybody and the world when it comes to the energy prices, prices of fertilisers, and so this is really what we need to see โ the ceasefire really holding and the talks continuing,โ she stressed. Kallas mentioned Darโs โconsistentโ invitations to her to visit Pakistan. โAs you know, in these calendars there are too few days, but we found this day and Iโm happy that we are here,โ she said. The visiting diplomat said the โmomentum of 2026 is to develop EU-Pakistan relations into a more forward-looking footingโ. She added: โWe have this contested geopolitical environment, rising tensions everywhere and real risk of escalation and like we were discussing, we also share the priorities when it comes to the rules-based international order that we need to develop further. โWe are working towards global and regional stability, which is in both of our interests. We also promote free and fair trade and investment, and advance sustainable connectivity.โ Earlier in the day, Kallas was welcomed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by Dar and other officials. โMultidimensional partnership with EUโ According to the FO, Kallasโs visit reflects the growing momentum in high-level political exchaยญnges and both sidesโ commitment to further strenยญgthening their multifaceted partnership. โPakistan deeply values its long-standing, multidimensional partnership with the European Union, which is anchored in shared values, robust economic cooperation, and a mutual commitment to multilateralism,โ the FO said. Kallas will also hold meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, the EU said. The FO confirmed that she was set to meet Pakistanโs โsenior leadershipโ, including the president and the premier. The EU is Pakistanโs secยญond-largest trading partner, with the GSP+ status allowing the country to enjoy duty-free or minimum duty on European exports. The status was granted by the EU in 2014, with the European Parliament unanimously voting in October 2023 to extend it until 2027 for developing countries, including Pakistan. According to the EU, GSP+ status is a special incentive awarded to developing countries to โpursue sustainable development and good governanceโ in exchange for cutting import duties to zero on two-thirds of the tariff lines of its exports. Governments with this status need to implement 27 international conventions on human rights, labour rights, good governance and the environment. Though it has the status, EU Ambassador to Pakistan Raimundas Karoblis said last November that the country needs to โdo betterโ to fulfil its obligations, specifically on blasphemy, enforced disappearances and minority rights. In December 2025, the EU welcomed certain steps taken by Pakistan towards implementing international conventions under the GSP+ framework, while also reiterating the โneed for further reforms in the medium and long termโ.