Its main goal was to attend the 8th round of Polish-Pakistani political consultations. Deputy Minister Gerwel’s talks with Undersecretary of State for European Affairs at the Pakistani MFA Muhammad Saleem covered the most important bilateral issues, including cooperation in the fields of politics, economy and investments, security and defence, education, access to the Pakistani market for Polish agri-food products, consular matters, and collaboration in the UN.

The consultations were also an opportunity to exchange views on the security situation in South Asia as well as in Central and Eastern Europe in the context of the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine. Another key item on the agenda was a meeting with analysts of the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad, which focused on the main challenges in Poland's and Pakistan’s foreign policy, including the global implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Deputy Minister Wojciech Gerwel also had a courtesy conversation with Foreign Secretary of Pakistan Asad Majeed Khan. Following the talks at the MFA, a bilateral agreement was signed on waiving the visa regime for holders of diplomatic passports, which is intended to facilitate bilateral political contacts between Poland and Pakistan.

During his visit to Islamabad, the deputy head of Polish diplomacy also met with Minister of State for Petroleum Musadik Masood Malik to discuss the development of investments by the Polski Koncern Naftowy Orlen S.A. in Pakistan’s energy sector.

The consultations reaffirmed good and effective Polish-Pakistani cooperation in areas of common interests, both in bilateral and multilateral dimensions. They also provided an opportunity to identify new areas of collaboration in the context of celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries.

 

MFA Press Office