In meeting with top EU officials, PM Shehbaz reiterates commitment to continued engagement under GSP+

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized Pakistan's commitment to continued engagement with the European Union's Generalized Scheme of Preference Plus (GSP+) during a meeting with EU leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The leaders discussed the state of Pakistan-EU relations, expressing satisfaction with the growing momentum in high-level exchanges.

Shehbaz highlighted the significance of sustained leadership-level engagement to provide direction to the relationship and reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to strengthening its partnership with the EU. The leaders also discussed regional and global developments, reaffirming the importance of dialogue, diplomacy, international law, and peaceful dispute resolution.

Pakistan and the EU signed €65 million (about $75 million) in financing agreements on Monday to support Global Gateway investments, strengthen the rule of law, and enhance energy and environmental resilience. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, thanked Pakistan for its role in de-escalating the conflict between the US and Iran.

The EU GSP+ framework is set to expire at the end of the year, and Pakistan needs to seek inclusion in the successor regime, which will have more stringent requirements. Pakistan faced compliance issues, regression in several areas, and limited positive change in a European Commission assessment covering 2023-25.