European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas on June 1 reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to strengthening ties with Pakistan, describing the country as a “major regional power” and an “important partner” for the bloc.
Kallas made the remarks during the 8th EU-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue in Islamabad, which she co-chaired with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar during her first official visit to Pakistan since assuming office.
“Pakistan is a major regional power and an important partner for the European Union,” Kallas said during a joint press conference following the dialogue.
“Today, in our strategic dialogue, we reaffirmed our shared commitment to strengthening EU-Pakistan ties even further,” she added.
Trade, GSP+ and Human Rights in Focus
Highlighting economic cooperation, EU foreign policy Kallas said the European Union remained Pakistan’s largest export destination.
“The European Union remains, by far, Pakistan’s largest export destination. It is actually larger than China and US combined,” she said.
She noted that Pakistan was the world’s leading beneficiary of the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) trade scheme, but stressed that continued preferential access depended on progress in implementing international commitments.
“But GSP+ has clear conditions. Continued preferential access to the EU market depends on progress in implementing the international conventions underpinning the scheme,” Kallas said.
“This includes good governance, environmental protection and particularly labor and human rights. We look to Pakistan to demonstrate the tangible progress on these issues.”
The EU diplomat said both sides were expanding cooperation beyond trade into climate resilience, digital infrastructure, clean energy, migration, mobility and people-to-people exchanges.
“I am also impressed that Pakistan tops the EU’s global Erasmus Mundus scholarship rankings again, the fifth year in a row,” she added.
According to the EU, Pakistan remains one of the biggest beneficiaries of the GSP+ framework, which grants duty-free or reduced-duty access to European markets for many Pakistani exports.
Pakistan’s Role in US-Iran Mediation Praised
Regional developments, particularly tensions involving Iran, featured prominently during the dialogue.
Kallas praised Islamabad’s diplomatic efforts in facilitating dialogue between Washington and Tehran amid ongoing tensions in the Gulf region.
“Pakistan has been the main mediator between the United States and Iran,” she said. “Your diplomatic efforts have helped to prevent a return to full blown war on several occasions, and these efforts are much recognized and appreciated across Europe.”
She added that Pakistan’s engagement had helped create “a tenuous diplomatic opening to extend the ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.”
However, Kallas stressed that any temporary understanding between the US and Iran must lead to broader negotiations.
“Yet, any temporary understanding between the US and Iran must be followed by deeper talks about Tehran’s nuclear stockpile and other critical issues. Lasting stability will require more encompassing solutions.”
The EU, she said, was prepared to support long-term regional stability.
“We bring economic leverage, hard-won nuclear expertise, long-standing relationships with partners across the Gulf, and direct engagement with Iran itself.”
“I see a concrete role for the EU in helping to make any eventual agreement durable, whether through maritime operations, economic incentives that support long-term stability, or other issues.”
Speaking alongside Kallas, Dar said Pakistan would continue working toward a “comprehensive and lasting solution” to the US-Iran conflict.
“It is a conflict that is having an impact on everybody in the world when it comes to energy prices, prices of fertilizers,” Kallas noted, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the ceasefire and continuing negotiations.
Afghanistan Situation
Kallas also addressed recent tensions involving Afghanistan, warning that continued fighting risked worsening instability in the region.
“The fighting in recent weeks has had grave humanitarian consequences and also risks fuelling further instability and radicalization,” she said. “This is why we have constantly called on both sides to exercise restraint and de-escalation.”
At the same time, she acknowledged Pakistan’s security concerns. “Pakistan has the right to defend itself and its people in line with the international law, but dialog, not air strikes, are the best-off ramp in this situation.”
PM Shehbaz Reaffirms Commitment to EU Partnership
Earlier in the day, Kallas called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister’s House, where discussions focused on regional and international developments as well as expanding Pakistan-EU cooperation.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with the EU in trade and investment, climate change, security, migration, sustainable development and connectivity.
The prime minister highlighted the importance of GSP+ in strengthening trade ties between Pakistan and the European Union and thanked EU leadership for supporting Pakistan’s peace efforts in the Gulf region. He said Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir were playing a “crucial role” in these efforts.
Shehbaz also stressed the need for the international community, including the EU, to work collectively for lasting regional peace.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi and other senior officials.
Kallas, in turn, appreciated Pakistan’s role in promoting regional peace and conveyed the EU’s interest in deepening strategic engagement with Islamabad.
“We are working towards global and regional stability which is in our interest,” she said.
Referring to the broader international climate, Kallas added: “We have this contested geopolitical environment… tensions everywhere, we have real risk of escalation… and we also share the priorities when it comes to rules-based international order that we need to develop further.”