Islamabad, 21 October 2022 (TDI): The 12th European Union (EU) – Pakistan Joint Commission took place on 5 October 2022 in Islamabad to exchange views on all areas of cooperation between the EU and Pakistan.
EU expressed solidarity with the people affected by unprecedented floods wrecking the country. In return, Pakistan expressed thankfulness for the EU and its member state’s upkeep in arranging funds of EUR 123 million for relief efforts.
The two sides arranged to further cooperate on climate change-linked challenges. The Joint Commission was also given instructions about the consequences of the Sub-Group meeting on Democracy, Governance, the Rule of Law, and Human Rights.
Pakistan and the EU also discussed civil and political rights, the rights of persons to be appropriate to minorities and at-risk groups, and freedom of religion or belief, including dealing with anti-Muslim hatred.
They discussed the role of civil society organizations, freedom of expression and opinion, media freedom, and the fight against disinformation.
It is pertinent to note that Pakistan is well-versed in steps to strengthen access to justice and improvements related to the request for death forfeit.
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The EU welcomed Pakistan’s bill on the safety of women’s and children’s rights, the protection of transgender persons, along with the protection of journalists.
Both parties discussed legislative proposals, namely the anti-torture bill and the bill on obligatory disappearances. They also talked about the electoral reforms process including good words made by the 2018 Electoral Observation Mission.
In addition, the two sides reiterated their commitment to multilateralism and the UN Charter along with opening up the results of the Sub-Group meeting on Trade.
They emphasized the significance of EU-Pakistan trade relations and the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) that resulted in an increase in bilateral trade to EUR 12.2 billion in 2021.
Likewise, ways to address issues that get in the way of trade and investment were also highlighted. The EU stressed the effective implementation of the 27 international conventions related to GSP+.
They also articulated enhancing cooperation in agriculture, food security, and quality standards. Also, the EU and Pakistan emphasized their commitment to closer mutual aid on a comprehensive method of migration.
This consists of joint determinations to work towards new opportunities for legal migration as well as full and effective carrying out of the EU-Pakistan Readmission Agreement.
They decided to launch a wide-ranging migration and freedom of movement dialogue before the end of the year. Cooperation in the fields of education, culture, science, and technology, as well as connectivity and digitalization, was also discussed.
In addition to bilateral cooperation, both sides also deliberated upon regional and global issues as well as Afghanistan and Jammu & Kashmir.
They also expressed deep distress over the status quo in Ukraine and the need to find peaceful solutions to conflicts, in full respect of the principles of international law and the UN Charter.
The Europe Union lauded the progress made by Pakistan in the implementation of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Action Plans.
