Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday urged expansion of bilateral trade and investment with Australia, identifying agriculture and livestock as promising sectors for deeper cooperation, during a meeting with newly appointed Australian High Commissioner Tim Kane.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister Office (PMO), the prime minister welcomed the positive trajectory of Pakistan Australia relations and also welcomed Australian interest in the mining and minerals sector, citing the Reko Diq project as a key example of Pakistan’s potential.
Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Tim Kane on his appointment and expressed confidence that his tenure would further strengthen the long standing and friendly ties between the two countries. He conveyed his warm regards to the Australian leadership and said he looked forward to working with them to build stronger bilateral relations.
The prime minister also conveyed Pakistan’s deepest condolences over the loss of innocent lives in the terrorist shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney on December 14. He said Pakistan unequivocally condemned the attack and reaffirmed solidarity with Australia, stressing that terrorism had no religion and must be condemned in all its forms, with collective action required to eradicate the menace.
Highlighting people to people links, Shehbaz Sharif lauded the contribution of the Pakistani diaspora in Australia and said cultural ties, underpinned by a shared passion for cricket, continued to support bilateral relations.
High Commissioner Tim Kane thanked the prime minister for the warm welcome and said Australia was keen to further enhance cooperation with Pakistan across all areas of mutual interest.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi and Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch were also present at the meeting.
