FM Qureshi for enhancing trade & economic cooperation with the EU

November 06, 2018: Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi Tuesday stressed the need for enhancing bilateral trade and economic cooperation with the European Union so as to optimally benefit from the GSP-Plus Scheme and said it is in positive synergy with the government’s own social agenda.

Talking to Ambassador of the European Union Jean-François Cautain at the Foreign Office, the two sides discussed a wide range of regional and bilateral issues of mutual interest and expressed satisfaction at the positive growth in Pakistan-EU relations, a statement from the Foreign Office said.

The Foreign Minister highlighted the government’s people-centric reform agenda to bring improvement in wide range of areas, including health, education, agriculture, tourism, human rights, national security and eliminating corruption.

The Foreign Minister also appreciated the role of Pakistani diaspora in the EU countries in promoting bilateral ties and people-to-people contacts, and said the present government has, for the first time, granted electronic voting rights to overseas Pakistanis in October 2018 by-elections.

On regional situation, the Foreign Minister underscored Pakistan’s efforts in bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan. The Ambassador informed that the EU High Representative would be looking forward to interact with the Foreign Minister during the forthcoming Geneva conference on Afghanistan later this month.

The Ambassador assured European Union’s full support to the government in enhancing bilateral relations in all areas of mutual interest.

(APP)