ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has met a high-level delegation of European Union officials and senior executives from leading European companies to discuss ways to expand bilateral economic cooperation.
The visiting delegation, in Pakistan for the EU-Pakistan Business Forum, was led by Peteris Ustubs, Director for Asia Pacific at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships.
It included Thourya Triki of the European Investment Bank, along with representatives of major European firms such as Adidas, Andritz and IKEA. European Union Ambassador to Pakistan Raimundas Karoblis also attended the meeting.
During the meeting, the prime minister highlighted the European Union’s position as Pakistan’s largest trading partner and a major export destination.
He expressed hope that the ongoing business forum would contribute to strengthening trade and investment ties, reaffirming the government’s commitment to fostering closer economic relations with the bloc.
He added that despite regional challenges, including rising global oil prices linked to the Middle East situation, the government remains focused on maintaining economic stability.
Referring to his recent telephonic contacts with European Council President Antonio Costa, the prime minister said discussions had centred on regional security and further enhancing Pakistan-EU cooperation.
The EU delegation acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts for regional peace and appreciated the government’s role in hosting the business forum.
They pointed to strong potential for expanding business-to-business engagement in sectors such as energy, communications and information technology.
With more than 600 B2B meetings planned alongside the forum, both sides expressed optimism about achieving meaningful economic outcomes.
Last year in November, Pakistan and the European Union also held discussions on trade and broader economic cooperation, including the GSP+ scheme, during a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and European Council President Antonio Costa.
Dar, who arrived in Belgium to attend the seventh session of the Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue after visiting Russia for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, expressed satisfaction over the positive momentum in bilateral relations.
Both sides agreed to further strengthen cooperation across multiple sectors.
The deputy prime minister appreciated the EU’s continued support to Pakistan at both bilateral and multilateral levels.
The two sides reviewed areas of mutual interest, including trade, GSP+, and regional and global security issues, while reaffirming their commitment to multilateral cooperation.
Dar was received upon arrival by Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU Rahim Hayat Qureshi, and other embassy officials.
The Foreign Office said he will co-chair the strategic dialogue session at the invitation of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas.
