The European Union and its member states are bringing back the popular, family-focused festival “EuroVillage” again on October 29 at the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) Islamabad.
The doors will open at 3 pm to welcome the Pakistani public to get a taste of European food, culture, heritage, and music.
After a gap of three years, the EU and the member states resume the EuroVillage tradition that offers a window into their rich culture and celebrates “unity in diversity”, a strong connection between EU and Pakistan.
This year’s EuroVillage will be special as the European Union celebrates 60 years of diplomatic relations with Pakistan. The six decades of partnership in development, trade and political engagement show how the EU and Pakistan are stronger together.
One highlight will be the EU-Pakistan friendship truck, which will be presented to the public for the first time before setting out to tour the country to engage with Pakistanis across all provinces and to present what EU – Pakistan relations are about.
Eurovillage is organized by the diplomatic missions of the European Union and of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Sweden.
The even will include information and activity booths for both adults and children with interactive games, selfie corners, food and an opportunity to meet the diplomatic team and learn about areas of partnership. The event will feature live performances by European performers and Pakistani artists including Asim Azhar and Shae Gill.
Previous editions of EuroVillage attracted over 8000 thousand enthusiastic visitors from the twin cities and beyond.
The EU and Pakistan are bound together by a shared history. The partnership has progressed since 1962 in tandem with the European integration process. In 2019, the EU and Pakistan adopted a Strategic Engagement Plan with the common goal of building a strong partnership for peace and development rooted in shared values, principles and commitments. This plan facilitates cooperation on a wide range of issues, including dialogues on counter-terrorism, education, democracy and human rights, migration, climate change, energy, trade and economics, and culture.
Pakistan is a major development and economic partner of the EU. The EU is also a major provider of development cooperation assistance to Pakistan with a focus on green inclusive growth, human capital and governance, including the rule of law and human rights. The European Single Market with over 400 million potential customers continues to be the most important export destination for Pakistani goods thanks to the trade preferences granted through the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP +).
