Govt actively pursuing diversified capital markets strategy, finmin tells EU envoy

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Tuesday said the government was actively pursuing a diversified capital markets strategy, aimed at strengthening external buffers and ensuring sustainable financing.

He made the remarks during a meeting with European Union (EU) Ambassador to Pakistan Raimundas Karoblis, the finance ministry said in a post on the social media platform X.

The minister underscored Pakistan’s steady return to macroeconomic stability and renewed engagement with international capital markets, highlighting “growing investor confidence and the government’s commitment to a structured and forward-looking economic reform agenda”.

“He noted that Pakistan has recently re-entered international capital markets after a four-year hiatus through a privately placed Eurobond transaction, which witnessed strong investor interest and was successfully upsized,” the ministry said.

It added that Aurangzeb emphasised that “this milestone reflects improving economic fundamentals and signals a positive trajectory for Pakistan’s global financial integration”.

Aurangzeb further stated that “the government is actively pursuing a diversified capital markets strategy, including future international issuances and innovative financing instruments, aimed at strengthening external buffers and ensuring sustainable financing”.

The ministry added that the EU ambassador extended an invitation to the finance minister to participate in the high-level EU–Pakistan Business Forum scheduled to be held on April 28 in Islamabad, which the minister accepted.

According to the ministry, Aurangzeb is expected to deliver the keynote address at the opening plenary session on the theme ‘Pakistan Rising: Incentives, Reforms, and the Next Investment Frontier’.

It added that the minister appreciated the EU’s efforts in “bringing together a large number of international and domestic business representatives, noting that such initiatives provide a valuable platform to showcase Pakistan’s improving business climate and investment potential, while fostering meaningful business-to-business engagement”.

“Aurangzeb also highlighted the government’s broader efforts to maintain macroeconomic stability, strengthen foreign exchange reserves, and advance structural reforms to support sustainable and inclusive growth,” it said.

He acknowledged the continued support of key bilateral partners in reinforcing economic resilience and emphasised the importance of sustained international collaboration in this regard, the ministry said.

The finance minister expressed “optimism about Pakistan’s external sector outlook and reiterated the government’s focus on enhancing competitiveness, deepening investment inflows, and expanding trade opportunities”.

“In this context, he also conveyed hope for continued progress under the GSP+ framework, terming it an important pillar of Pakistan-European Union economic relations,” the ministry added.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to further strengthening Pakistan-EU economic relations and promoting increased trade, investment, and business collaboration, it said.

The meeting comes a day after the government announced that it had increased its Eurobond size to $750 million by exercising the greenshoe option as the country sought to bolster its foreign exchange reserves to meet a higher oil import bill following US-Israel attacks on Iran, which pushed up prices due to supply disruptions.