EU's top diplomat Kallas to visit Islamabad on June 1 for strategic dialogue

The European Union’s (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas will visit Pakistan on June 1 (Monday) to take part in the 8th EU-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, the EU announced on Saturday.

According to the statement issued by the bloc, Kallas — also the European Commission’s vice president — will also hold meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir.

“This is the eighth round of the Strategic Dialogue between the EU and Pakistan, providing an opportunity to discuss bilateral relations under the Strategic Engagement Plan, signed in June 2019,” the EU said in the statement.

“HR/VP Kallas will hold a joint press conference with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan Mohammad Ishaq Dar at 12:30 local time.”

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, resulting in a 108 per cent increase in Pakistani textile exports to the EU due to concessional tariffs.

In October 2023, the European Parliament unanimously voted to extend the GSP+ status for another four years 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 Pakistan’s progress towards implementing 27 international conventions under the GSP+ framework, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement.

The FO noted that the 15th Pakistan-EU Joint Commission meeting was held in Brussels on December 17, stating, “The EU welcomed progress made in bringing Pakistan’s application of the death penalty in line with international standards and encouraged further steps in this regard. It also recognised important first steps against torture, as well as the creation of a Commission on Minorities.”