Prime
Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday called upon the United
Kingdom to harness support for Pakistan to convene the next Pakistan-EU
summit in Islamabad this year.Talking
to David Lidington, Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Minister for
Europe, who called on him here, the Prime Minister said that Pakistan
looked forward to further build upon its relationship with the European
Union and had put forth a draft for a five-year engagement plan between
Pakistan and the EU and hoped to conclude this as soon as possible.He
appreciated Britain for its help to Pakistan for greater access to
European Union markets and hoped that with British help it would be
able to achieve revised GSP Plus (Generalized System of Preferences
Plus) Scheme to increase its exports.
Gilani said the access to EU
markets and GSP Plus status would greatly facilitate Pakistan in
generating economic activities and creating jobs for youth, an official
privy to the meeting told APP.
The Prime Minister thanked the UK government for its unwavering support to Pakistan in this regard.He mentioned that the opertions against terrorists had greatly impacted the country’s economy and added that trade was the most essential mean to overcome the challenges which Pakistan was confronting.
Pakistan, he reiterated, needed the support of international community to confront security challenges arising out of terrorism.He termed illiteracy and poverty root causes of terrorism which needed to be addressed at the earliest.
FCO Minister David Lidington said Britain would continue to plead Pakistan’s case in EU and beyond, to see it integrated into global trade. He stressed the need for sustained efforts by Pakistan to reach the EU member states for its genuine demand for access to European markets.
In order to strengthen the institutionalized arrangement of Pakistan-EU summit, he called for concrete and feasible proposals to help establish meaningful partnership with the EU.
In the same context, he mentioned that the visit of Baroness Catherine Ashton, Vice President of the European Commission, to Pakistan in near future and the Prime Minister Gilani’s visit to New York to attend the UN General Assembly session would provide an opportunity to establish contacts leading to fruitful discussions on the subject matter.
On Pakistan’s relations with neighbouring countries, Prime Minister Gilani said there had been great improvement in Pakistan’s relations with India and Afghanistan ever since the democratic government came into power in Pakistan in 2008.
He said the dialogue process initiated by Pakistan with its neighbours, including India greatly facilitated to build up the confidence level and approach towards resolving issues that were affecting the lives of the people of region. APP
The Prime Minister thanked the UK government for its unwavering support to Pakistan in this regard.He mentioned that the opertions against terrorists had greatly impacted the country’s economy and added that trade was the most essential mean to overcome the challenges which Pakistan was confronting.
Pakistan, he reiterated, needed the support of international community to confront security challenges arising out of terrorism.He termed illiteracy and poverty root causes of terrorism which needed to be addressed at the earliest.
FCO Minister David Lidington said Britain would continue to plead Pakistan’s case in EU and beyond, to see it integrated into global trade. He stressed the need for sustained efforts by Pakistan to reach the EU member states for its genuine demand for access to European markets.
In order to strengthen the institutionalized arrangement of Pakistan-EU summit, he called for concrete and feasible proposals to help establish meaningful partnership with the EU.
In the same context, he mentioned that the visit of Baroness Catherine Ashton, Vice President of the European Commission, to Pakistan in near future and the Prime Minister Gilani’s visit to New York to attend the UN General Assembly session would provide an opportunity to establish contacts leading to fruitful discussions on the subject matter.
On Pakistan’s relations with neighbouring countries, Prime Minister Gilani said there had been great improvement in Pakistan’s relations with India and Afghanistan ever since the democratic government came into power in Pakistan in 2008.
He said the dialogue process initiated by Pakistan with its neighbours, including India greatly facilitated to build up the confidence level and approach towards resolving issues that were affecting the lives of the people of region. APP
