The European Union’s (EU) top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, on Monday termed Pakistan a major regional power and an important partner of the EU as the two sides held a strategic dialogue in Islamabad.
Kallas, who serves as vice-president of the European Commission and the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy (HR/VP), is visiting Pakistan at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
Both co-chaired the 8th EU-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue, which is the highest-level platform for structured discussion between the two sides.
Addressing a joint press conference, Kallas said, “Pakistan is a major regional power and an important partner for the European Union.
“Today, in our strategic dialogue, we affirmed our shared commitment to strengthening EU-Pakistan ties even further,” she stated.
Kallas noted that her visit came at an “important moment”, adding that the “world and this region have experienced profound changes” since the two sides met in November last year.
Kallas pointed out that the EU remained “by far Pakistan’s largest export destination”, adding that it was larger than the US and China combined.
She further said Pakistan was the “world’s leading beneficiary” of the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+).
At the same time, Kallas stressed: “But GSP+ has clear conditions. Continued preferential access to the EU market depends on progress in implementing the international conventions underpinning the scheme.
“This includes good governance, environmental protection and particularly, labour and human rights. We look to Pakistan to demonstrate tangible progress on these issues.”
Kallas said Pakistan and the EU were deepening cooperation on a wide range of issues, including climate resilience, digital infrastructure, clean energy, migration and mobility. She remarked that people-to-people links were also an “important part” of the partnership.
“I’m also impressed that Pakistan tops the EU’s global Erasmus Mundus Scholarships rankings again, the fifth year in a row,” she said.
Providing details of the dialogue, the visiting diplomat said she and Dar exchanged views on “pressing global developments, including in the Middle East”.
Noting Pakistan was the “main mediator” between the US and Iran, Kallas told Dar: “Your diplomatic efforts have helped prevent a return to full-blown war on several occasions and these efforts are much recognised and appreciated across Europe.”
She added, “With your support, there is now a tenuous diplomatic opening to extend the ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. 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,” she emphasised, affirming that the EU was ready to contribute to a sustainable and peaceful solution.
“We bring economic leverage, hard-won nuclear expertise, long-standing relationships with partners across the Gulf and direct engagement with Iran itself,” Kallas said.
“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.”
The EU diplomat also noted that Pakistan had been “locked in a conflict with Afghanistan”, adding that the fighting in recent weeks had “grave humanitarian consequences and also risks fuelling further instability and radicalisation”.
“This is why we have constantly called on both sides to exercise restraint and de-escalation. Pakistan has the right to defend itself and its people in line with the international law,” she said.
Speaking at the joint press conference, Dar termed Kallas’s visit a “significant milestone” in Pakistan-EU bilateral relations.
Dar said that the gap between the last EU-Pakistan dialogue in November 2025 and this one was “probably in our history the minimum between any two states”. He noted that the last visit by the EU high representative took place in 2019, followed by “virtually no visits for seven years”.
Therefore, he added, Kallas’s visit “signifies the growing momentum in EU-Pakistan partnership”. He noted that the EU high representative has remained his “frequent interlocutor”, adding that their candid exchanges reflected the trust between Pakistan and the EU.
“We have been constantly in touch during the last year’s India-Pakistan war and so are we in touch during the regional conflict between the US and Iran,” Dar said.
“We believe that the EU as an institution embodies the universal ideals of peace, diplomacy, democracy and commitment to human rights,” he said, affirming that Islamabad remained committed to constructive engagement with the EU and its member states.
During the dialogue, Dar said, both sides took stock of progress made on cooperation under the sectors outlined in the Strategic Engagement Plan (SEP) 2019, including trade, investment, development, human rights, and rule of law, migration and mobility, and security and counterterrorism.
Dar further noted that the EU was among Pakistan’s major trading partners, with a trade volume of €12 billion.
“Pakistan-EU trade cooperation under the GSP+ framework is a win-win template,” the deputy PM remarked.
“Our discussions today focused on further enhancing bilateral trade and investment ties between the EU and Pakistan,” Dar reiterated, detailing that both sides also assessed the “first-ever Pakistan-EU Business Forum in April as a welcome development”.
Dar expressed hope that the business forum could become a “regular feature” of Pakistan-EU ties. He said the two also held an “in-depth” discussion on regional and global issues, which included the “US-Iran conflict, the security situation in South Asia, Afghanistan, Europe and the Middle East”.
At this, Dar expressed appreciation to the Kallas for the EU’s “appreciation and support” to Pakistan’s efforts in the US-Iran conflict.
“We are humbled by the recognition of our efforts and will continue to work towards finding a comprehensive and lasting solution to the conflict,” Dar told Kallas.
On India-occupied Kashmir, Dar said he “apprised her excellency of our concerns regarding unprovoked Indian aggression and Pakistan’s principal position on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, advocating for its resolution according to the wishes of the Kashmiri people in line with UN Security Council resolutions”.
He also briefed the EU high representative on Pakistan’s position on the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), recalling the May 15 supplemental award by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).
“Pakistani position on IWT stands vindicated after the court of arbitration’s supplemented award in the IWT proceedings arising from the Ratle and Kishanganga hydroelectric plant disputes.
“The award affirms Pakistan’s central position that the treaty places substantive limits on India’s water control capability on the western rivers,” Dar emphasised.
The two sides also discussed security issues, particularly the terrorist threat that Dar said was emanating from the Afghan soil, stressing that the continued attacks remained a “top concern” for Pakistan.
Dar said that he also urged the need for the “strengthening multilateralism and consistent adherence to the fundamental principles of the UN charter”.
He outlined the need “to address the existing and emerging international challenges in an effective and credible manner”.
Shifting his attention back to relations with the EU, Dar said that the two sides had reaffirmed their “resolve to transform these relations into a comprehensive and mutually beneficial partnership”.
Concluding his remarks, Dar voiced optimism that the Kallas’s visit will be “one of the many” she will undertake to Pakistan in the future.
‘Considerable untapped potential in cooperation’
During their meeting, Dar and Kallas “acknowledged the positive trajectory of Pakistan-EU ties and agreed to further strengthen the mutually beneficial partnership”, the FO said.
“The two leaders also exchanged views [on] regional and global developments, ahead of the 8th Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue which is being held subsequently,” it added.
In opening remarks before the dialogue, Dar said, “We have a great relationship with the EU; there is a great history. Pakistan sees considerable untapped potential in our cooperation.”
He noted, “We have a number of areas where we can work together, particularly trade and many other areas.”
Dar stressed the need to maintain a frequency of six months’ gap in strategic dialogues, as was the case between the current and the last dialogue.
“We hold deep appreciation for the EU leadership and your engagement, particularly,” Dar said.
He added that he and Kallas remained in touch on various matters, including the Pakistan-India conflict last year and the ongoing US-Iran war.
“We keep exchanging notes and you have been very kind,” Dar remarked. “I think this interaction is very welcome,” he added.
Dar mentioned an EU “strategic vision, which aims at providing long-term direction and strategic cooperation toward partnership”.
“Building upon the Strategic Engagement Plan (SEP) 2019 and Cooperation Agreement 2004, the proposed vision seeks to elevate our engagement into a more comprehensive and forward-looking framework,” he stated.
He added that the “vision document can serve as an important foundation for deepening political understanding, expanding sectoral cooperation and strengthening institutional linkages between Pakistan and the EU”.
Dar highlighted that the continuation of the strategic dialogue “demonstrates our shared resolve to impart greater momentum to Pakistan-EU relations and to shape a forward-looking partnership”.
He remarked that the two sides had “great discussions” in the restricted meetings.
The deputy PM expressed the hope that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen would find some time to visit Pakistan, as there was a standing invitation from the prime minister.
In her opening remarks, Kallas welcomed the “strong momentum for EU-Pakistan trade relations”.
“EU remains by far Pakistan’s largest export destination, and I was surprised to hear that it’s actually more than the US and China combined, so we really are your market,” the diplomat pointed out.
Kallas said: “This is really showing that the partnership is not only commercially significant, but it’s also a driver of growth. And beyond trade and investment, there are areas where we can explore the deepening of our ties, when it comes to resilience building, climate, digital infrastructure, and migration mobility.
“These are investments in long-term partnership and really looking forward to our discussions today about the regional but also global developments and how we can develop our relationship even further.”
Kallas also commended Dar on “facilitating the talks between the US and Iran”.
“It is a conflict that is having an impact on everybody and the world when it comes to the energy prices, prices of fertilisers, and so this is really what we need to see — the ceasefire really holding and the talks continuing,” she stressed.
Kallas mentioned Dar’s “consistent” invitations to her to visit Pakistan. “As you know, in these calendars there are too few days, but we found this day and I’m happy that we are here,” she said.
The visiting diplomat said the “momentum of 2026 is to develop EU-Pakistan relations into a more forward-looking footing”.
She added: “We have this contested geopolitical environment, rising tensions everywhere and real risk of escalation and like we were discussing, we also share the priorities when it comes to the rules-based international order that we need to develop further.
“We are working towards global and regional stability, which is in both of our interests. We also promote free and fair trade and investment, and advance sustainable connectivity.”
Earlier in the day, Kallas was welcomed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by Dar and other officials.
‘Multidimensional partnership with EU’
According to the FO, Kallas’s visit reflects the growing momentum in high-level political exchanges and both sides’ commitment to further strengthening their multifaceted partnership.
“Pakistan deeply values its long-standing, multidimensional partnership with the European Union, which is anchored in shared values, robust economic cooperation, and a mutual commitment to multilateralism,” the FO said.
The EU is Pakistan’s second-largest trading partner, with the GSP+ status allowing the country to enjoy duty-free or minimum duty on European exports.
The status was granted by the EU in 2014, with the European Parliament unanimously voting in October 2023 to extend it until 2027 for developing countries, including Pakistan.
According to the EU, GSP+ status is a special incentive awarded to developing countries to “pursue sustainable development and good governance” in exchange for cutting import duties to zero on two-thirds of the tariff lines of its exports.
Governments with this status need to implement 27 international conventions on human rights, labour rights, good governance and the environment.
Though it has the status, EU Ambassador to Pakistan Raimundas Karoblis said last November that the country needs to “do better” to fulfil its obligations, specifically on blasphemy, enforced disappearances and minority rights.
In December 2025, the EU welcomed certain steps taken by Pakistan towards implementing international conventions under the GSP+ framework, while also reiterating the “need for further reforms in the medium and long term”.
