Pakistan and the European Union while highlighting the immense potential of cooperation, reaffirmed their commitment to transform bilateral ties into a comprehensive and mutually beneficial partnership during the 8th Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue held in Islamabad on Monday.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, addressing the joint press stakeout with European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas, described the dialogue as the highest institutionalised forum between Pakistan and the EU.
Dar noted that the last, the 7th Review, was held in November in Brussels, marking the shortest gap between such engagements in their history.
The two sides reviewed progress on cooperation under the Pakistan-EU Strategic Engagement Plan 2019, covering sectors including trade, investment and development, human rights and rule of law, migration and mobility, and security and counter-terrorism.
Dar highlighted that the EU was among Pakistan’s major trade partners and described Pakistan-EU trade cooperation under the GSP+ framework as a win-win template and stated that discussions focused on further strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties.
Dar and the EU High Representative also held an in-depth exchange of views on regional and global issues, including the US-Iran conflict, the security situation in South Asia, Afghanistan, Europe and the Middle East.
Dar thanked the EU for its appreciation and supportive role for Pakistan’s mediation efforts in the US-Iran conflict. He raised concerns regarding unprovoked Indian aggression and reiterated Pakistan’s principled position on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, advocating for its resolution according to the wishes of the Kashmiri people in line with UN Security Council resolutions.
Dar also shared that Pakistan’s position on the Indus Waters Treaty stands vindicated after the Court of Arbitration’s supplementary award, which affirmed that the Treaty placed substantive limits on India’s water control capability on the western rivers.
On security issues, Dar emphasised concerns regarding the presence of Fitna al-Khwarij and Fitna al-Hindustan elements on Afghan soil and their continued attacks against Pakistan. He stressed the need for strengthening multilateralism and adherence to the UN Charter.
In her remarks, EU High Representative Kaja Kallas described Pakistan as a major regional power and an important partner for the European Union. Kallas noted that the EU remained, by far, Pakistan’s largest export destination and that Pakistan was the world’s leading beneficiary of the EU’s GSP+ scheme.
She expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s mediation efforts between the United States and Iran, which have helped prevent a return to full-blown war. She said that the EU was ready to contribute to a sustainable and peaceful solution.
Regarding the situation with Afghanistan, Kallas stated that Pakistan has the right to defend itself and its people in line with international law.
Both leaders expressed resolve to further strengthen EU-Pakistan ties across trade, climate resilience, digital infrastructure, clean energy, migration, mobility, and people-to-people links, including through the Erasmus Mundus scholarship programme in which Pakistan tops the rankings.
Strategic Dialogue
Earlier, Senator Ishaq Dar said that the EU Strategic Vision could serve as an important foundation for deepening political understanding, expanding sectoral cooperation and strengthening institutional linkages between Pakistan and the European Union.
The deputy prime minister, in his opening remarks at the 8th Session of the Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue, said that EU Strategic Vision aimed at providing long-term direction and strategic cooperation toward partnership, building upon the Strategic Engagement Plan 2019 and the Cooperation Agreement 2004.
The Dialogue was co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Dar and European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas who arrived here on a one-day visit.
Dar said that the continuation of the Strategic Dialogue demonstrated the shared resolve to impart greater momentum to Pakistan-EU relations and to shape a forward-looking partnership.
He said that Pakistan held a deep appreciation for the EU leadership and referred to the EU HRVP’s active engagement during the Pakistan-India war, as well as the current conflict, the US-Iran conflict as both sides kept exchanging notes.
Referring to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his interactions with President of the EU Council António Costa, DPM Dar reiterated an invitation for the President of the EU Commission to visit Pakistan.
Highlighting considerable untapped potential for cooperation, he said both sides could work together, particularly in trade and many other areas.
In her remarks, Kaja Kallas commended Pakistan for facilitating the talks between the US and Iran, noting that the conflict was having an impact on everybody in the world in the form of rising energy and fertilisers prices.
“So this is really what we need to see – a ceasefire really holding and then the talks continuing,” she added.
She said that the momentum of 2026 was to develop EU-Pakistan relations into a more forward-looking footing.
“We also promote free and fair trade and investment and also advance sustainable connectivity… The EU remains by far Pakistan’s largest export destination. And I was surprised to hear that it is actually more than the US and China combined. So we really are your market,” Kallas remarked.
She said that while Pakistan continued to be the world’s leading beneficiary of the GSP+ system which showed that the partnership was not only commercially significant, but was also a driver of growth.
She said that besides trade and investment, both sides could also explore the deepening of ties, including in resilience building, climate, digital infrastructure, migration and mobility.
Arrival at Foreign Office
Earlier, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas arrived at the Foreign Office in Islamabad for talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar.
On arrival, she was received by the Deputy Prime Minister.
The two leaders co-chaired the 8th Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue, reflecting the shared commitment to further strengthening Pakistan-EU relations and advancing cooperation across diverse areas of mutual interest.
