Brussels (TDI): Pakistan and the European Union held their ninth Counter-Terrorism Dialogue in Brussels on Thursday.
Both sides discussed cooperation on security matters, including tackling counter-terrorism.
The counter-terrorism is part of their broader engagement of the 2019 Strategic Engagement Plan.
In this dialogue, both parties denounced terrorism in all its forms and reiterated their firm commitment to fight against it.
Pakistan and the European Union held their ninth Counter-Terrorism Dialogue in Brussels, on 20 February 2025. Pakistan delegation was led by the Director General for Counter Terrorism at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abdul Hameed, and the EU side was led by Director for… pic.twitter.com/BX9v30Swle
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) February 20, 2025
Moreover, they discussed multiple issues, including the regional and global challenges.
They also emphasized the intense security implications of the situation in Afghanistan and other areas, such as the Middle East.
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In this regard, both parties shared a consensus on strong cooperation with international partners at multidimensional forums.
In this sense, this issue is also included in the United Nations Frame Work and the Global Global Counter-Terrorism Forum, which the EU co-chaired since 2022.
In the meeting, both actors discussed cooperation in different areas, such as the exchange of best practices with practical collaboration, with a focus on preventing and countering violent extremism, the induction and movement of non-state actors, both offline and online radicalization, addressing terrorism financing, and other relevant challenges posed by terrorism.
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The European elegation was headed by Maciej Stadejek, Director for Security and Defence Policy at the European External Action Service, and Abdul Hameed, Director General for Counter-Terrorism at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, led the Pakistani delegation.
Dissecting Pakistan and European Union Relations
Pakistan has a multidimensional relationship with the EU. The Strategic Engagement Plan framework, formulated in 2019, covers areas such as democracy, Rule of Law, governance, human rights, migration, trade and investment, education, culture, and science and technology.
They shared views on respective forums, including Strategic Dialogue, Joint Commission, and Joint Readmission Committee.
Simultaneously, the EU is one of the largest trading partners and a crucial source of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Pakistan.
It has a substantial share of Pakistan’s exports, particularly textiles and garments.
The status of the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) has also given Pakistan possible preferences to the EU market, which enhances the robust increase in trade between the two sides.
Additionally, the EU has always been a significant development partner of Pakistan.
It focuses on cooperation in education, health, governance, capacity building, human rights, and gender equality.
The EU member states also host a large Pakistani diaspora, which acts as a bridge, strengthens bilateral ties, and enhances mutual understanding.
The Pakistani diaspora also lives in these EU member states, which acts as a bridge and strengthens bilateral cooperation and increases mutual understanding.
Both sides launched the Migration and Mobility Dialogue, which will open pathways for legal migration from Pakistan to the EU countries and stop illegal migration.
