ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Canada have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation by expanding trade, investment, and economic collaboration following a high-level meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand at the Prime Minister’s House on Tuesday.
The meeting focused on increasing bilateral relations, increasing economic engagement, and discussing regional developments.
The senior officials from both sides participated in the talks, including Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain, Prime Minister’s Adviser Dr. Syed Tauqir Shah, and other senior government representatives.
In this regard, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized the importance of broadening Pakistan-Canada cooperation in key sectors, including trade, investment, agriculture, agri-food, vaccine manufacturing, renewable energy, automobiles, and auto parts.
He said both countries enjoy friendly relations and have significant potential to further strengthen economic ties for mutual benefit.
The prime minister also conveyed his best wishes to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and expressed his desire to meet him in the near future.
In this sense, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand expressed gratitude for the warm welcome extended by the Government of Pakistan. She said her visit was being undertaken at the direction of Prime Minister Mark Carney with the objective of further deepening bilateral relations between the two countries.
Anand mentioned Canada’s strong interest in exploring new trade and investment opportunities in agriculture, minerals, energy, automobiles, and auto parts.
She also noted that the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPPA) would play an important role in enhancing the confidence of Canadian investors interested in doing business in Pakistan.
Both sides agreed that the Pakistani community residing in Canada serves as a vital bridge between the two nations, contributing significantly to stronger people-to-people ties and closer bilateral cooperation.
The two countries also agreed to exchange trade and minerals sector delegations to identify new opportunities for expanding bilateral commerce and investment.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended a signing ceremony for the phytosanitary protocol governing Pakistan’s imports of Canadian canola. The agreement was signed on behalf of Pakistan by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and on behalf of Canada by Foreign Minister Anita Anand.
