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Kaja Kallas calls Pakistan a ‘major regional power’, seeks deeper EU ties
Kallas said the European Union wants deeper ties with Pakistan as the two sides reviewed trade, security and migration cooperation, officials said.
On Monday, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas arrived in Islamabad, co-chairing the 8th EU-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar.
Trade relations rely on the GSP+ framework, which granted Pakistan duty-free access to European markets in 2014 and requires implementing 27 international conventions on human rights and governance.
EU-Pakistan trade stands at around 12 billion euros, with the EU remaining Pakistan's largest export destination; Kallas noted Pakistan tops the EU's global Erasmus Mundus scholarship rankings for the fifth consecutive year.
Kallas praised Pakistan as the main mediator between the United States and Iran, stating these efforts have helped prevent a return to full-blown war on several occasions, earning recognition across Europe.
Both sides reviewed progress under the 2019 Strategic Engagement Plan covering trade, investment, human rights, and security; Kallas and Dar committed to developing relations on a forward-looking footing in the coming year.