Dar meets EU foreign policy chief, stresses importance of GSP+ for Pakistan's trade ties with the bloc

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar told EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas that GSP+ is central to Pakistan's commercial ties with the bloc, the Foreign Office said in a statement. The talks, held on Monday, were staged alongside the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, which runs from September 21 to 25. Dawn reported that the two sides also compared notes on regional and global developments.

Dar welcomed the EU's constructive role during recent regional developments, along with its acknowledgement of Pakistan's de-escalation efforts. He also pressed for a shift back to dialogue and diplomacy, and for every party to fully carry out the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding that Washington and Tehran inked earlier this year. Both sides agreed to keep close engagement on shared interests, the FO added.

The talks come as Islamabad and Brussels engage intensely over the trading scheme, which lapses at year-end. Pakistan is obliged to apply for inclusion in the successor framework, which brings tougher conditions, while a transition period keeps preferences running until Dec 31, 2028 without ensuring automatic continuation or a rollover. A Commission review covering 2023 to 2025, published in July, found compliance problems, regression in several areas and limited positive change. The EU remains Pakistan's biggest export market at 28 per cent of total exports, with textiles and clothing accounting for roughly 70 to 76pc of shipments to Europe.