ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Canada held the 5th Round of Bilateral Political Consultations and identified opportunities for enhancing cooperation, especially in the spheres of trade and investment.

The 5th Round of Pakistan-Canada Bilateral Political Consultations were held in Ottawa on 26 April, Foreign Office said on Saturday. The Pakistan side was led by Additional Foreign Secretary (Americas) Ambassador Mariam Aftab while the Canadian delegation was headed by Assistant Deputy Minister (Indo-Pacific) Weldon Epp, Global Affairs Canada.

“The two sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and identified opportunities and possibilities for further cooperation, especially in the spheres of trade, investment, education, parliamentary exchanges, counterterrorism and people-to-people contacts,” said a statement here.

It added that the Additional Foreign Secretary briefed the Canadian side on Pakistan’s foreign policy priorities and invited Canadian companies to invest in energy, mining and IT sectors in Pakistan. The two sides expressed satisfaction at the overall progress in bilateral relations and committed to enhance cooperation in all fields of mutual interest.

They also discussed collaboration at international fora, including the United Nations, and agreed to further deepen cooperation and dialogue.

It further stated that regional and global developments were also discussed. The Canadian side was apprised of recent developments in the South Asian region, especially Afghanistan, Pakistan-India relations and human rights violations in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. It was agreed that the 6th round of Bilateral Political Consultations will be held in Islamabad at mutually convenient dates.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024