Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said Pakistan and Canada shared cordial relations and stressed the need to further strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade, investment, agriculture, renewable energy, vaccine manufacturing, and the automobile sector.
The remarks came during a meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, who is on an official visit to Pakistan, at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain, Adviser to the Prime Minister Dr Syed Tauqir Shah, and other senior government officials attended the meeting, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
During the meeting, Shehbaz conveyed his good wishes to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and said he looked forward to meeting him in the near future. Recalling their telephone conversation in April, he also thanked Canada for its support for Pakistan’s efforts to promote regional peace.
The prime minister said the two countries should broaden cooperation in key sectors, including agriculture and agri-foods, renewable energy, vaccine manufacturing, and the automobile and auto parts industry, to unlock the full potential of bilateral ties.
Anita Anand thanked the prime minister for the warm welcome extended to her and her delegation, and conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Carney. She said her visit reflected Canada’s commitment to expanding engagement with Pakistan and exploring new avenues of cooperation.
She expressed Canada’s interest in enhancing collaboration in agriculture, mining, energy, and the automobile and auto parts sectors. Anand also said the proposed Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPPA) would help strengthen investor confidence and encourage greater Canadian investment in Pakistan.
Both sides acknowledged the positive role of the Pakistani-Canadian diaspora in fostering closer ties between the two countries and agreed to exchange trade and minerals-sector delegations to identify mutually beneficial opportunities and promote bilateral investment and commerce.
Following the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz witnessed the signing of a protocol on phytosanitary regulations governing the import of Canadian canola into Pakistan. The agreement was signed by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand on behalf of their respective governments.
