ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Switzerland held a fresh round of their Bilateral Political Consultations in Islamabad on Friday, wherein officials from the two countries discussed economy, trade, investment and bilateral cooperation in different areas, the Pakistani foreign office said.
Pakistan and Switzerland have close and friendly relations, both at bilateral and multilateral levels. Switzerland is also one of the leading investors in Pakistan. The mechanism of Bilateral Political Consultations provides a useful platform to review bilateral relations and discusses future areas of cooperation.
Pakistan’s Additional Secretary for Europe Dr. Muhammad Tariq led his side in Friday’s talks, while the Swiss side was headed by Ambassador Raphael Nägeli, the Swiss assistant secretary of state for Asia and Pacific.
Both sides exchanged views on bilateral relations, including political, economic, trade and investment ties. Cooperation in the fields of education, science and technology, defense and security, agriculture, and at multilateral fora were also part of the meetings.
“Recognizing the vast potential of the two economies for mutually beneficial cooperation, the two sides agreed to take concrete steps to further enhance and expand bilateral economic and commercial interactions,” the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement. “Both sides stressed the importance of regular high-level exchanges.”
On regional situation, the Pakistani additional secretary underlined the situation of human rights in the India-administered part of Kashmir and the Afghanistan situation, according to the statement. The Swiss side appreciated Pakistan’s efforts for peace and conveyed gratitude for assistance in evacuation of Swiss nationals and others from the war-torn country.
Ambassador Nägeli also called on Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood and discussed with him matters of mutual interest were discussed.
The foreign secretary highlighted Pakistan’s shift from geopolitics to geo-economics and shared its perspective on Afghanistan. He underscored the need for the international community’s constructive engagement with Afghanistan to address mutual concerns.