Fifth round of Pakistan-EU Political Dialogue held in Brussels

BRUSSELS: The fifth round of Pakistan-EU Political Dialogue was co-chaired in Brussels on Wednesday by Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service Jean-Christophe Belliard.

As per a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two sides held detailed exchange of views on regional peace and security, various facets of bilateral relations with a particular focus on trade and investment.

The foreign secretary briefed the EU side on the recent volatile situation in South Asia notably the Indian aggression against Pakistan, underscoring that it was gross violation of the international law and Pakistan had acted in self-defence with restraint.

The EU appreciated the steps that Pakistan had taken to diffuse and de-escalate the situation with India including several steps such as release of the captured Indian pilot as a gesture of peace, reactivation of hotline between Directors Generals Military Operations, return of Pakistan’s High Commissioner to New Delhi and convening of the meeting in connection with opening of Kartarpur Corridor.

In the context of deteriorating situation and gross violations of human rights in the Indian occupied Kashmir, the Foreign Secretary urged the EU to speak out against these abuses and lend its support to various international reports documenting such violations including that of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Janjua also briefed the EU side on Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate the ongoing talks between the US and the Taliban. Reiterating that there was no military solution to the Afghan conflict, she emphasized that a politically negotiated settlement, led and owned by the Afghans, was the only sustainable way forward.

The EU side commended and expressed support for Pakistan’s constructive role in the Afghan peace process.

The fifth round of political dialogue was significant as it provided an opportunity to review the progress made in the bilateral relations. Both sides agreed to further deepen and diversify their ongoing cooperation under the multi-tiered Pakistan-EU framework of consultations. The sixth round of Political Dialogue will be held in Islamabad in 2020.