Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday said that the EU Strategic Vision could serve as an important foundation for deepening political understanding, expanding sectoral cooperation and strengthening institutional linkages between Pakistan and the European Union.

The deputy prime minister, in his opening remarks at the 8th Session of the Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue, said that the EU Strategic Vision aimed at providing long-term direction and strategic cooperation toward partnership, building upon the Strategic Engagement Plan 2019 and the Cooperation Agreement 2004.

The dialogue was co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Dar and the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, who arrived here on a one-day visit.

Dar said that the continuation of the strategic dialogue demonstrated the shared resolve to impart greater momentum to Pakistan-EU relations and to shape a forward-looking partnership.

He said that Pakistan held a deep appreciation for the EU leadership and referred to the EU HRVP’s active engagement during the Pakistan-India war, as well as the current conflict, the US-Iran conflict, as both sides kept exchanging notes.

Referring to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his interactions with President of the EU Council António Costa, Dar reiterated an invitation for the president of the EU Commission to visit Pakistan.

Highlighting considerable untapped potential for cooperation, he said both sides could work together, particularly in trade and many other areas.

In her remarks, Kaja Kallas commended Pakistan for facilitating the talks between the US and Iran, noting that the conflict was having an impact on everybody in the world in the form of rising energy and fertiliser prices.

“So this is really what we need to see – a ceasefire really holding and then the talks continuing,” she added.

She said that the momentum of 2026 was to develop EU-Pakistan relations into a more forward-looking footing.

“We also promote free and fair trade and investment, and also advance sustainable connectivity… The EU remains by far Pakistan’s largest export destination. And I was surprised to hear that it is actually more than the US and China combined. So we really are your market,” Kallas remarked.

She said that while Pakistan continued to be the world’s leading beneficiary of the GSP+ system, this showed that the partnership was not only commercially significant but was also a driver of growth.

She said that besides trade and investment, both sides could also explore the deepening of ties, including in resilience building, climate, digital infrastructure, migration and mobility.