ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Canada have expressed their readiness to strengthen the implementation of existing agreements while exploring new avenues for bilateral cooperation.
The consensus was reached at the 6th Round of Bilateral Political Consultations between Pakistan and Canada, which was held on Saturday in Islamabad, a Foreign Office statement said.
On behalf of Pakistan, Ambassador Nabeel Munir, Special Secretary (United Nations), accompanied by the Director General (Americas), participated in the consultations. The Canadian delegation was led by Ambassador Weldon Epp, Assistant Deputy Minister (Indo-Pacific) at Global Affairs Canada, along with High Commissioner Tarik Ali Khan in Islamabad.
Both sides expressed satisfaction over the steady growth in bilateral relations, noting recent substantive engagements between the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan and the Canadian Foreign Minister. These interactions were seen as providing strategic direction and renewed momentum to the partnership, with both sides reaffirming their shared commitment to further deepening bilateral ties.
Acknowledging the significant untapped potential in the relationship, the two sides agreed to improve the implementation of existing agreements and to explore new avenues for cooperation.
In this context, they emphasised the importance of enhancing trade and economic cooperation, including greater support for business communities, facilitation of trade delegations, and strengthened institutional linkages.
The two sides identified cooperation in trade and investment, agriculture and agri-technology, mining and minerals, energy, climate change, artificial intelligence and information and communications technology, skilled workforce development, education and research, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges as key drivers for advancing the relationship.
They also underscored the central role of investment in achieving sustainable and mutually beneficial growth and agreed to encourage greater private sector engagement to explore emerging opportunities.
During the session, they exchanged views on the evolving global and regional environment and discussed key multilateral issues of mutual interest.
Pakistan enjoys friendly relations with Canada, which was one of the first countries to recognise Pakistan as a sovereign independent state in 1947.
The two countries regularly hold bilateral consultations on political matters, while the Pakistani diaspora in Canada numbers around 500,000.
Over the years, the bilateral cooperation and engagement in the political, economic, and cultural arenas between Pakistan and Canada have witnessed a consistent upwards trajectory, according to the Pakistani foreign office.
At present, there are two Pakistan-origin senators and six House of Commons members in the Canadian parliament, who act as a bridge between the two countries.
