BRUSSELS: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Belgium on Wednesday after attending a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Moscow, beginning a three day visit focused on Pakistan’s strategic dialogue with the European Union, the Foreign Office said.
The seventh session of the Pakistan EU Strategic Dialogue is scheduled to take place during the visit and will be co chaired by Dar and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. According to the Foreign Office, the forum serves as the highest channel of structured engagement between Islamabad and Brussels under the Pakistan EU Strategic Engagement Plan signed in 2019.
The talks will review cooperation across political, security, trade, development and climate sectors. Officials say the two sides will assess progress since their last round of dialogue while identifying areas where collaboration can be expanded, including market access, governance reforms and regional stability.
Dar is also expected to attend the EU Indo Pacific Ministerial Forum, which brings together senior representatives from Europe and Asia to discuss maritime security, economic connectivity and geopolitical challenges. The meeting will convene over the next two days under the chair of Kallas.
During his stay, Dar will meet senior EU officials, members of the European Parliament and counterparts from several participating states. The Foreign Office said his interactions will focus on strengthening Pakistan’s political engagement with the bloc and building momentum in a partnership described as mutually beneficial and long term.
In a post shared after landing in Brussels, Dar said he looked forward to meetings with the president of the European Council, members of the European Commission and other dignitaries attending the ministerial forum.
His arrival in Belgium follows a two day visit to Moscow, where he led Pakistan’s delegation at the Council of Heads of Governments meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. The Foreign Office said Dar held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and several Central Asian leaders on the margins of the summit.
In these discussions, Dar reviewed bilateral ties, regional developments and cooperation within multilateral platforms. He conveyed Pakistan’s appreciation for Moscow’s hosting of the meeting and highlighted the role of institutional mechanisms in driving Pakistan’s relations with Russia.
The summit also provided an opportunity for Dar to engage with China’s Premier Li Qiang and leaders from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The Foreign Office said the meetings covered regional connectivity, economic initiatives within the SCO and the rotating leadership of the organisation.
Islamabad views Dar’s Brussels visit as a significant point in its relationship with the EU, which remains one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners and a central interlocutor on governance reforms, development cooperation and counter terrorism efforts. Further discussions between the two sides are scheduled over the course of the week, with officials expecting announcements on future areas of cooperation once the dialogue concludes.
