ISLAMABAD (special crosspondent) – Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further expanding bilateral cooperation with Canada in trade, investment, agriculture, agri-food, vaccine production, renewable energy, and the automobile and auto parts industries.

Expanding Strategic Cooperation

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the Prime Minister made these remarks during a meeting with Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain, the Prime Minister’s Adviser Dr. Syed Tauqir Shah, and senior government officials also attended the meeting.

Welcoming the visiting foreign minister, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described Pakistan and Canada as longstanding friends and stressed the need to further strengthen bilateral relations, particularly in the areas of trade, investment, agriculture, agri-food, vaccine manufacturing, renewable energy, automobiles and the auto parts industry.

Diplomatic Engagements

The Prime Minister conveyed his best wishes to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and said he looked forward to meeting him in the near future. Recalling his telephone conversation with the Canadian prime minister in April, he thanked Canada for supporting Pakistan’s efforts to promote peace in the region.

Foreign Minister Anita Anand thanked the Prime Minister for the warm welcome extended to her and her delegation. She conveyed goodwill wishes from Prime Minister Mark Carney and said her visit was undertaken on his instructions to further strengthen Pakistan-Canada relations.

Economic Partnership and Investment

She expressed Canada’s strong interest in exploring new opportunities for trade and cooperation in agriculture, minerals, energy, automobiles and the auto parts sector. Anita Anand also said that the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA) would help enhance the confidence of Canadian investors and encourage greater investment in Pakistan. The two leaders agreed that the Pakistani diaspora in Canada serves as a strong bridge between the two countries and plays an important role in strengthening bilateral ties. They also agreed to exchange trade and minerals sector delegations to identify new areas of mutual benefit and further expand bilateral trade and investment.

Phytosanitary Protocol Signing

Following the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif witnessed the signing ceremony of a phytosanitary protocol governing the import of Canadian canola into Pakistan. The protocol was signed by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand on behalf of their respective governments.