DPM Dar reaches Brussels for Pakistan-EU dialogue after concluding Moscow visit

• Dar received by foreign secretary, officers from EU embassy.
• DPM to attend 4th EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum.
• Dar to hold number of bilateral meetings with EU officials.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday arrived in Belgium to participate in the 7th Session of Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue after concluding Russia visit, where he attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office, the deputy premier was received by the Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch, Ambassador of Pakistan to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU, Rahim Hayat Qureshi and other officers from the Pakistan Embassy.

“Dar will co-chair the seventh session of Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue at the invitation of Kaja Kallas, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy,” it said.

The dialogue will review cooperation between Pakistan and the EU in all sectors under the Pakistan-EU Strategic Engagement Plan 2019, it added.

The Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue is the highest level of institutionalised interaction between the two sides, the FO said.

During the visit, the deputy premier will also participate in the 4th EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum. He will also hold a number of bilateral meetings and engagements with the senior EU officials on the sidelines of the Forum.

Dar’s visit to Brussels marks a “significant milestone in Pakistan-EU relations”, the FO said, affirming that Islamabad remains committed to developing a “comprehensive and mutually beneficial partnership” with the EU.

Foreign Minister Dar was in Moscow to lead the Pakistani delegation at the meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG).

The CHG is the second-highest decision-making body within the SCO and oversees cooperation in areas such as economy, finance, trade, connectivity, commerce and socio-economic development, including the organisation’s budget. It also adopts joint communiqués, statements and key decisions.

Before his departure from Russia, the foreign minister expressed his gratitude to the host government for its “warm hospitality and the successful organisation” of the SCO moot.

He also appreciated the support extended by the embassy of Pakistan in Moscow and the teams at the Foreign Office for facilitating his visit.

Bilateral meetings

At the margins of the SCO Heads of Government meetings, on Wednesday, Dar engaged with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The FO said both sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and expressed deep satisfaction at what they described as the current positive trajectory of ties.

Dar congratulated his Russian counterpart on the successful holding of the SCO-CHG meeting and noted the vital role of the leaderships of both countries, as well as bilateral institutional mechanisms, in further strengthening cooperation.

The two foreign ministers also exchanged views on wide-ranging regional and international issues and, taking into account what they termed excellent coordination at multilateral fora, including the United Nations (UN) and the SCO, pledged to deepen this coordination in the interest of both countries.

The foreign minister also held an “informal discussion” with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

The two ministers exchanged views on “bilateral relations and priorities for regional cooperation”, it added.

Meanwhile, Dar also held meetings with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the margins of the summit.