Pakistan, Poland agree to boost bilateral ties

ISLAMABAD
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar hailed the visit of his Polish counterpart to Pakistan on Thursday as “significant”, saying that during the delegation-level talks, the two sides had agreed to expand bilateral cooperation.
“During the delegation-level talks, Minister Sikorski and I took stock of the Pakistan-Poland bilateral ties, which continue to develop on a very positive trajectory. We have over a billion-dollar bilateral trade and both sides agreed that there remains immense untapped potential to further expand trade and economic cooperation.
“We agreed to expand bilateral cooperation in trade, energy, infrastructure, defence, counter-terrorism, science and technology and education,” Dar said during a joint press conference with Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, who landed in Islamabad today on a two-day official visit.
Dar also announced that the foreign ministries of the two countries had signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) that envisioned regular bilateral consultations, which he said aimed at further enhancing cooperation between the two sides. Moreover, he said an MoU had also been signed on cooperation between the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad and the Polish Institute of International Affairs.
At the outset of the press conference, Dar welcomed his Polish counterpart, mentioning that this was his second visit to Pakistan, the last being in 2011. Moreover, he said, Sikorski was “no stranger in this part of the world”, having served as a war correspondent in the region during 1980s. Dar underlined that Pakistan attached great importance to its ties with Poland.
“Poland’s struggle for freedom and independence is exemplary,” he said, further stating that Pakistan and Poland shared a “unique historical connection”. “During World War II, thousands of Polish refugees found shelter in present-day Pakistan i.e. in Karachi and Quetta.”
He also recalled and lauded the role of Polish pilots and engineers in laying the foundation of the Pakistan Air Force. Dar continued that with this shared historical context, Pakistan viewed Poland as an important partner, bilaterally, as well as in the European Union.
“We rejoice the economic progress Poland has made to now become a trillion-dollar economy,” he said, further congratulating the European country on the “successful and smooth presidential election and for its it able stewardship of the European Union”.
FM Dar further said that during the talks today, the two sides had exchanged views on major regional and global issues, including the security situation in South Asia, Afghanistan, Europe and the Middle East.
“I apprised the foreign minister of our concerns regarding unprovoked Indian aggression and Pakistan’s principled position on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, advocating for the resolution according to the wishes of the Kashmiri people and in line with UN Security Council resolutions.
“We also discussed the recent excess of the Taliban regime. Presence of Fitna-al-Khawarij and Fitna-al-Hindustan elements on Afghan soil and their continued attacks against Pakistan remain our top concerns.”