News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Kingdom have decided to enhance cooperation in all fields including defence. The consensus was reached during a meeting between Minister for Defence Production Muhammad Raza Hayat Harraj and British High Commissioner Jane Marriott in Rawalpindi.

 The Minister said Pakistan considers United Kingdom a close friend and a genuine development partner.

He expressed hope that Pak-UK bilateral relations will continue to evolve on principles of mutual respect, shared common interest and understanding each other’s perspectives.

The British High Commissioner expressed her commitment to working with Pakistan on shared priorities, including bilateral trade and defence production. “Frequent interaction has been useful in coordinating our approaches to various bilateral, regional and international issues. The two sides agreed to enhance cooperation in all fields, including defence,” the minister was further quoted as saying.

Harraj also expressed hope that UK-Pakistan bilateral relations will continue to evolve on principles of mutual respect, shared common interest and understanding each other’s perspectives, as per the statement.

“The British High Commissioner expressed her commitment to strengthening the UK-Pakistan relationship and working with Pakistan on shared priorities, including bilateral trade and defence production,” it added.

In July, the two countries formally signed the Trade Dialogue Mechanism Agreement and announced the establishment of the UK-Pakistan Business Advisory Council to institutionalise bilateral economic cooperation.