New York (HRNW)- Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, with discussions focusing on Pakistan-EU relations and regional and global developments. The meeting was held in New York on September 23.
The leaders reviewed the broad relationship between Pakistan and the European Union and expressed satisfaction with the growing momentum in high-level contacts and consultations. Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening its broad-based partnership with the EU and fully implementing the Pakistan-EU Strategic Engagement Plan.
The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of continued leadership-level engagement in providing direction to bilateral relations. He also highlighted the significance of the GSP+ trade framework for Pakistan’s economic development, employment, and exports, and reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to continued cooperation with the EU under the scheme.
The three leaders also exchanged views on regional and global developments and stressed the importance of dialogue, diplomacy, international law, and peaceful resolution of disputes. European Union leaders separately acknowledged Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalating the conflict between the United States and Iran.
The meeting also comes amid continued efforts to expand economic cooperation. The EU and Pakistan recently signed three financing agreements worth €65 million covering Global Gateway investment facilitation, energy and environmental resilience in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and support for the rule of law and business environment.
Shehbaz Sharif reiterated his invitation to both European leaders to visit Pakistan and expressed hope that continued engagement between Pakistani and EU leadership would further deepen bilateral cooperation and the mutually beneficial partnership.
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