Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand has reached Islamabad for an important visit. This is the first trip by a “ Canadian foreign minister to Pakistan in almost 20 years” . The main goal is to improve economic ties and open new doors for trade and investment between the two countries.
“ Anand held meetings with Pakistan ’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar . She also met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif . In these talks, both sides discussed ways to increase business links” . They looked at areas where Canada and Pakistan can work together more closely.
Trade between the two countries has grown in the past year. “Canadian exports to Pakistan went up by 65 percent. The total two-way trade now stands near 1.2 billion dollars” . During the visit, officials signed a new protocol that will make it easier to export Canadian canola to Pakistan . They also made progress on a foreign investment agreement.
Clean energy projects came up as another key topic .“ The two countries talked about possible joint work on wind and solar power. One example mentioned was a 240- megawatt project. Such steps could help Pakistan get more electricity while giving Canadian companies new opportunities” .
The large Pakistani community in Canada also got attention. More than 300,000 people of Pakistani origin live in Canada. Leaders agreed that this community can play a big role in bringing the two countries closer through business, education, and cultural links .
Security matters were part of the conversation too. Both sides talked about working together against terrorism and supporting stability in the region. They decided to hold annual meetings so they can check progress on all these issues.
Anand called the visit an important day for Canada- Pakistan relations. Dar described it as a milestone that will help strengthen ties . Canada also announced new funding of more than two million dollars for development projects in Pakistan .
This visit comes after several years of cooler relations. Many see it as a fresh start. For Pakistan , stronger links with Canada can bring more investment and technology. For Canada, it means better access to markets in South Asia and a stronger position in the Indo -Pacific region.
“The trip is part of Anand ’s larger tour that also includes the Philippines . As the meetings ended, both countries promised to turn words into action” . Trade officials are expected to meet soon to work out the next steps.
Earlier in the day, Dar hailed FM Anand’s visit as an “important milestone” in bilateral ties, stressing that economic cooperation remained a “key priority” in the two countries’ relationship.
“Her visit is an important milestone in Pakistan-Canada relations and reflects our shared commitment to further strengthening our bilateral ties,” Dar said while addressing a joint press briefing with Anand.
“Pakistan and Canada enjoy long-standing and multifaceted relations underpinned by historical linkages, people-to-people contacts and a vibrant Pakistani diaspora in Canada,” he highlighted.
The deputy premier noted that economic cooperation remained a “key priority” in the bilateral relationship with Canada.
He said the two sides discussed ways to further expand trade and investment ties, including greater facilitation of business-to-business (B2B) linkages and enhanced engagement in areas of mutual interest.
Dar said Pakistan welcomed Canadian investment in “priority sectors, including education, energy, mining and critical minerals, agriculture infrastructure and information technology”.
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