Dar leads inter-ministerial review to deepen Pakistan–EU trade ties under GSP plus

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar chaired a high-level inter-ministerial meeting on Monday to assess ongoing efforts to strengthen Pakistan’s economic and trade engagement with the European Union.

Dar described the EU as one of Pakistan’s most important economic partners, highlighting the central role of the GSP Plus framework in sustaining preferential market access for Pakistani exports. He said Pakistan has completed four biennial GSP Plus reviews and reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to meeting all obligations under the scheme to unlock further trade opportunities.

The meeting brought together Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Bajwa, Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch, and the secretaries of commerce, interior, overseas Pakistanis, and human rights. Pakistan’s ambassador to the EU and senior officials from federal and provincial departments also participated.

GSP Plus allows developing countries duty-free access to most EU markets, contingent on adherence to international conventions covering human rights, labour standards, environmental protection, and governance.

Separately, EU Ambassador Raimundas Karoblis met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on January 29, where both sides reiterated their intent to deepen cooperation across trade, investment, development, security, migration, and climate change. The prime minister underscored the importance of GSP Plus in bilateral trade and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to expanding mutually beneficial economic ties under the scheme.