Addressing a joint press stakeout together with Canadian Overseas Minister Anita Anand on the Ministry of Overseas Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister and Overseas Minister Senator Ishaq Dar stated Pakistan and Canada shared longstanding and multifaceted ties anchored in historic linkages, sturdy people-to-people contacts and a vibrant Pakistani diaspora in Canada.
He stated each side agreed to keep up the momentum generated by the go to by enhanced institutional cooperation, common bilateral consultations and nearer interplay between related ministries and stakeholders.
The deputy prime minister stated financial cooperation remained a central pillar of bilateral relations, with discussions specializing in increasing commerce and funding, facilitating business-to-business contacts and selling collaboration within the areas of mutual curiosity.
He invited Canadian firms to put money into Pakistan’s precedence sectors, together with schooling, vitality, mining and significant minerals, agriculture, infrastructure and knowledge know-how.
DPM Dar introduced that the 2 international locations would later signal a brand new protocol establishing predictable phytosanitary import situations for Canadian canola within the presence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
He stated Pakistan’s Nationwide Agri-Commerce and Meals Security Authority, the Setting Safety Company and the Canadian Meals Inspection Company had additionally agreed to discover technical cooperation and capability constructing in meals security and agricultural commerce.
Referring to negotiations on the Overseas Funding Promotion and Safety Settlement (Fippa), Dar stated each international locations welcomed the progress made thus far and agreed to proceed engagement for an early and mutually useful conclusion of the settlement.
The talks additionally lined cooperation in schooling, labour mobility, science and know-how, local weather change, consular affairs and people-to-people exchanges, whereas the 2 sides exchanged views on Afghanistan and counter-terrorism cooperation.
On regional points, the deputy prime minister stated he raised the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, describing it as a longstanding unresolved concern on the United Nations Safety Council (UNSC) agenda.
He additionally sought Canada’s assist for the restoration of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), urging adherence to worldwide legislation and treaty obligations.
Maiden go to in almost twenty years
Talking on the event, Canadian FM Anand stated her go to was notably vital because it marked the primary go to by a Canadian international minister to Pakistan in almost 20 years regardless of the 2 international locations having maintained diplomatic relations for eight a long time.
She stated Pakistan occupied an vital place in Canada’s technique to diversify its international commerce, including that greater than 300,000 Canadians of Pakistani origin continued to strengthen ties between the 2 international locations.
Anand acknowledged Islamabad’s efforts in selling dialogue geared toward easing regional tensions within the Center East and stated Ottawa remained involved over the escalation of battle within the area, assaults on civilian infrastructure and threats to maritime safety, urging all events to train restraint and pursue diplomatic options.
She stated each governments had agreed to expedite the conclusion of the Fipa to supply companies in each international locations with better certainty and confidence to take a position.
Highlighting agricultural cooperation, Anand stated Pakistan imported greater than 470,000 tonnes of Canadian canola over the past crop yr and expressed appreciation for Islamabad’s collaboration in facilitating market entry for Canadian producers.
She added that Canada additionally regarded ahead to elevated exports of Pakistani merchandise, together with rice, textiles and sporting items.
She stated Canadian firms had been additionally increasing cooperation with Pakistan in renewable vitality and mining, citing the upcoming 240-megawatt Dhabeji hybrid wind and photo voltaic undertaking being developed by JCM Energy in partnership with Karachi Electrical, in addition to Barrick’s funding within the Reko Diq mining undertaking.
Saying new initiatives, Anand stated Canada would offer greater than $2.2 million for 3 safety cooperation initiatives specializing in border administration, counter-terrorism, monetary crime investigations and legislation enforcement coaching by partnerships with Interpol, the United Nations Workplace on Medicine and Crime and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
She additionally introduced $45 million in new improvement help to assist local weather resilience, women’ schooling, reproductive well being, household planning and flood restoration efforts in Pakistan by partnerships with the Aga Khan Basis of Canada, the United Nations Growth Programme and the United Nations Inhabitants Fund.
The Canadian international minister stated the initiatives mirrored the shared dedication of each international locations to broaden cooperation in areas that might contribute to long-term prosperity, stability and sustainable improvement.
Delegation-level assembly
The joint assertion follows a delegation-level assembly between DPM Dar and Canadian FM Anand in Islamabad, the place each international locations agreed to develop cooperation in precedence sectors and maintain annual conferences to assessment progress on their agreed joint assertion.
In his opening remarks earlier than delegation-level talks with the Canadian FM on the Ministry of Overseas Affairs, the deputy premier welcomed his Canadian counterpart, mentioning that it was the primary go to by a Canadian Overseas Minister to Pakistan in twenty years.
He advised the visiting dignitary that Pakistan connected nice significance to the long-standing relationship with Canada, which was additional bolstered by a big Pakistani diaspora there.
In her remarks, FM Anand stated that she had been wanting ahead to the work to reinvigorate the bilateral relationship. She added that this yr marked roughly 80 years of diplomatic relations between the 2 international locations.
She stated that on a broader stage, in gentle of the shifting worldwide order, each side had vital work to do collectively.
Upon her arrival on the Ministry of Overseas Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister Dar welcomed the Canadian international minister.
The Canadian international minister is visiting the nation on the invitation of DPM Dar. The Overseas Workplace stated that is the primary go to by Minister Anand to Pakistan following her assumption of workplace.
Canadian FM calls on PM Shehbaz
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated Pakistan and Canada loved pleasant ties that wanted to be additional expanded, notably within the areas of commerce, funding, agriculture together with agri-foods and vaccine manufacturing, renewable vitality, in addition to the auto and auto components business.
FM Anand, who’s on an official go to to Pakistan, referred to as on the prime minister on the PM Home at present.
The prime minister conveyed his greetings and finest needs for Prime Minister Mark Carney and stated that he regarded ahead to assembly him quickly.
He fondly recalled the phone dialog along with his Canadian counterpart in April, and thanked Canada for supporting Pakistan’s regional peace efforts.
FM Anand thanked the prime minister for the nice and cozy welcome accorded to her and her delegation in Islamabad.
She conveyed the great needs of PM Carney for the prime minister and stated that her go to was on the directions of her prime minister to develop Canada’s relations with Pakistan.
On the bilateral entrance, the Canadian international minister expressed the eager need of her authorities to discover new alternatives for commerce and cooperation, particularly within the discipline of agriculture, mining, vitality, in addition to within the auto and auto components business.
On this regard, she stated the Fippa can be instrumental in enhancing Canadian buyers’ confidence to put money into Pakistan.
Either side agreed that the Pakistani Canadian neighborhood was performing as an important bridge between the 2 nations.
The 2 sides additionally agreed to alternate delegations within the fields of commerce and minerals cooperation, to discover mutually useful alternatives, with a view to additional improve bilateral commerce and funding prospects.
After the assembly, PM Shehbaz witnessed the signing of a Protocol on Phyto-sanitary rules governing the import of Canola from Canada to Pakistan.
The protocol was signed by DPM Dar and Canadian FM Anand from their respective sides.
