Czech Deputy Foreign Minister visited Islamabad
26.05.2023 / 14:30 | Aktualizováno: 29.05.2023 / 10:54
Political consultations between Czechia and Pakistan, held on 2 May 2023 in Islamabad, confirmed the shared interest in continuing and developing cooperation, particularly in exploring ways of enhancing mutual trade.
The ninth round of bilateral consultations was led by the Czech Deputy Foreign Minister Jiří Kozák and Additional Foreign Secretary (Europe) Ambassador Muhammad Saleem. The thorough review of all important aspects of mutual relations included discussion about political topics, trade and investment, defence, higher education, culture and tourism, consular and visa issues, and the state of bilateral agreements. A substantial part of talks focused on cooperation in international organisations and on global issues, namely the climate change, and the EU–Pakistan relations. The upcoming signing of the Agreement on Economic Cooperation was appreciated as a possible impetus to improving business interaction and enhancing trade. Likewise, the planned first meeting of the Joint Defence Industry and Logistics Committee should facilitate cooperation in the relevant domains.
The consultations were followed by a meeting of the Czech delegation with Ambassador Syrus Sajjad Qazi, Special Secretary, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Mr Mohsin Dawar, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, at the National Assembly. The discussion focused on regional security, Afghanistan, Russian aggression on Ukraine, and lessons learned from past policies.
Before leaving Islamabad, Deputy Minister Kozák participated in the launching ceremony of an online version of The Czech & Pakistani Heroines, a joint project of the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art in Czechia and the National College of Arts Lahore, highlighting prominent women of both countries.