Islamabad: Anita Anand, Foreign Minister of Canada, who is on an official visit to Pakistan, called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister House islamabad.
Deputy Prime Minister & Foreign Minister Sen. Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain, Advisor to the Prime Minister Dr. Syed Tauqir Shah, and other senior government officials were also present.
During the warm and cordial meeting, the Prime Minister welcomed the Canadian Foreign Minister to Pakistan and stated that the two countries enjoyed friendly ties that needed to be further expanded, particularly in the areas of trade, investment, agriculture including agri-foods and vaccine manufacturing, renewable energy, as well as the automobile and auto parts industry.
He conveyed his greetings and best wishes for Prime Minister Mark Carney and said that he looked forward to meeting him soon. He fondly recalled the telephone conversation with his Canadian counterpart in April, and thanked Canada for supporting Pakistan’s regional peace efforts.
Foreign Minister Anita Anand thanked the Prime Minister for the warm welcome accorded to her and her delegation in Islamabad. She conveyed the good wishes of Prime Minister Carney for the Prime Minister and said that her visit was on the instructions of her Prime Minister to expand Canada’s relations with Pakistan.
On the bilateral front, the Canadian Foreign Minister expressed the keen desire of her Government to explore new opportunities for trade and cooperation, especially in the field of agriculture, mining, energy as well as in the auto and auto parts industry.
In this regard, she said the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPPA) would be instrumental in enhancing Canadian investors’ confidence to invest in Pakistan. Both sides agreed that the Pakistani Canadian community was acting as a vital bridge between the two nations.
The two sides also agreed to exchange delegations in the fields of trade and minerals cooperation, to explore mutually beneficial opportunities, with a view to further enhance bilateral trade and investment prospects.
After the meeting, the Prime Minister witnessed the signing of a Protocol on Phyto-sanitary regulations governing the import of Canola from Canada to Pakistan. The Protocol was signed by the Deputy Prime Minister and the Canadian Foreign Minister from their respective sides.
