ISLAMABAD: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday (today) as part of a two-day visit at the invitation of her Pakistan counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. The visit from June 7-8 will be Baerbock’s first visit to Pakistan.

Bilawal welcomed his German counterpart at the foreign office in Islamabad. During the visit, the two diplomats will hold delegation-level talks on the entire range of bilateral matters and exchange views on regional and global issues.

The repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan would be an important topic of her talks with the Pakistani delegation during the visit, according to a statement issued by the German foreign affairs ministry. She would also be visiting Greece and Turkey also.

“However, the question will also be how we can help the people in Afghanistan in their need and at the same time increase the pressure on the Taliban to respect the rights of their people, especially women and girls. And we’ll talk about fighting the climate crisis and responding to Russia’s grain war – both of which affect Pakistan more than most other countries in the world,” it said.

Annalena Baerbock, who is Germany’s first female foreign minister, is also scheduled to meet PM Shehbaz Sharif.

The visit of the foreign minister is part of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and it is expected to further boost the multi-faceted Pakistan-Germany relationship.

Pakistan and Germany completed 70 years of diplomatic ties in 2021. This milestone was celebrated by the two sides with a series of events held in Pakistan and Germany.

The two countries have a history of cordial relations marked by mutual respect and close cooperation. The two sides attach special importance to strengthening bilateral cooperation in diverse fields, including trade and investment, energy, defence, and people-to-people contact.