ISLAMABAD: European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas will arrive in Islamabad on June 1 (Monday) for a high-level bilateral visit and the 8th EU-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue.
The visit comes as Pakistan and the European Union seek to deepen cooperation across political, economic and security areas. The upcoming high-level visit reflects the growing depth of relations between Pakistan and the European Union.
During her visit, Kallas is scheduled to meet Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, underscoring the broad-based nature of Pakistan-EU cooperation spanning political, economic, security, and regional affairs, diplomatic sources said.
The meetings are expected to cover a broad range of bilateral and regional issues, reflecting a comprehensive partnership between Pakistan and the European Union.
The main focus of the trip will be the 8th round of the EU-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue. It will be co-chaired by Kallas and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
The strategic dialogue is expected to review the full spectrum of bilateral relations and explore avenues for enhancing cooperation under the EU-Pakistan Strategic Engagement Plan, signed in June 2019, according to diplomatic sources.
Diplomatic sources said the discussions are likely to cover regional and global developments, trade and investment, climate cooperation, migration, security collaboration, human rights, and connectivity initiatives, as well as the evolving geopolitical situation in South Asia and beyond.
The visit comes at a time of increasing engagement between Pakistan and the European Union, with Brussels remaining one of Islamabad’s largest trading partners and an important stakeholder in Pakistan’s economic development and reform agenda.
At the conclusion of the Strategic Dialogue, Kallas and Deputy PM Ishaq Dar will address a joint press conference, where they are expected to outline key outcomes of the talks and reaffirm the commitment of both sides to strengthening their long-standing partnership.
The EU-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue serves as the highest-level institutional mechanism for political engagement between the two sides.
Since its inception, it has played a pivotal role in advancing cooperation across multiple sectors.
