Pakistan, Ireland to boost ties
A key proposal is to slap 2% additional customs duty on goods imported at zero duty, including those falling within the free trade agreements. photo: file
Pakistan and Ireland in the fourth session of the Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC) discussed promoting ties in diverse areas, including trade, culture and sports, the Foreign Office (FO) said Friday.
The Pakistan delegation was led by Ambassador Muhammad Saleem, the additional foreign secretary (Europe) while the Irish delegation was led by Sonja Hyland, deputy secretary general at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland, in the meeting held on Friday.
Ambassador of Ireland to Pakistan Sonya McGuiness, and the resident in Ankara, was also part of the Irish delegation.
The two sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations. The additional secretary underscored Pakistan's commitment to further deepening and broadening ties with Ireland in the areas of trade, academic exchanges, culture, sports, science and technology, harmonisation of visa regime and migration & mobility.
Welcoming Ireland's decision to open its embassy in Islamabad, the additional foreign secretary underscored that it would be an important milestone in Pakistan-Ireland relations.
The Irish embassy in Islamabad and Pakistan embassy in Dublin have critical roles to play in enhancing bilateral ties and promoting people-to-people contacts, particularly in facilitating Pakistani businessmen and students, he noted.
The two sides also discussed collaboration at international forums, including at the United Nations. They found a convergence of views on important issues and agreed to continue cooperation at the multilateral fora.
Regional and global issues of mutual interest were also discussed during the consultations. Both sides also agreed to make bilateral political consultations a regular feature of bilateral dialogue and engagement. The next round of consultations will be held in Dublin in 2024.