KUALA LUMPUR: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday held meetings with his Australian and Canadian counterparts on the sidelines of the 32nd ASEAN Regional Forum Ministerial Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, discussing measures to enhance bilateral cooperation in trade, education, and people-to-people exchanges.
During his meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Ishaq Dar reaffirmed strong Pakistan-Australia ties and resolved to enhance cooperation in trade, education, and people-to-people links.
Deputy PM & FM @MIshaqDar50 met FM @SenatorWong on sidelines of #ASEAN Regional Forum. Reaffirmed strong 🇵🇰🇦🇺 ties & commitment to enhance cooperation in trade, education, and people-to-people links. Pakistani diaspora and cricket are a living bridge between the countries.… pic.twitter.com/QZm5IXIVzK
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 10, 2025
In a “productive and forward-looking engagement,” he said that the Pakistani diaspora and cricket were a living bridge between the countries.
Both sides agreed to boost bilateral trade, currently at $1.186 billion, promote academic partnerships, and increase high-level political exchanges.
Meanwhile, Dar also held a meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, where both sides acknowledged the positive trajectory of bilateral relations and agreed to upscale and strengthen their economic and trade ties.
The Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 met with the Canadian FM Anita Anand @AnitaAnandMP on the sidelines of 32nd ARF Ministerial Meeting at KL today. The two sides acknowledged the positive trajectory of the Pak-Canada bilateral… pic.twitter.com/oyCFikwTPp
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 10, 2025
The deputy prime minister invited the Canadian foreign minister to visit Pakistan, which the latter accepted.
Ishaq Dar will lead the country’s delegation at the 32nd Ministerial Meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on Friday.
The meeting will be attended by the Foreign Ministers and representatives of the 27 ARF member countries, along with the Secretary-General of ASEAN, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office on Wednesday.
“Established in 1994, the ARF serves as a key platform for multilateral dialogue and consultations on regional peace and security issues,” the statement said.
It added that Pakistan has been an active member of the ARF since joining the Forum in 2004 and continues to contribute constructively to its activities and initiatives.
