ISLAMABAD:Pakistan and the European Union (EU) have agreed to explore further avenues for collaboration in disaster management and capacity building. The understanding to this effect reached during a meeting between Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani and the European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic in Brussels on Tuesday.

During the interaction, Minister of State thanked the EU for activating the European Civil Protection Mechanism post floods that enabled immediate assistance from EU during rehabilitation phase. In her meeting with European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, Hina Rabbani Khar discussed optimal utilization of the recently launched Migration and Mobility Dialogue including opportunities for legal migration of skilled labor.

It was agreed to strengthen cooperation in implementation of Pakistan-EU Readmission agreement. The Minister of State expressed the hope that the EU would take a leadership role in dealing with emerging global challenges and non-traditional security threats including climate change, pandemics, water, energy and food security. She advocated for collaboration and cooperation for building capacity with a special focus on sustainability, green economics, agriculture and digital connectivity.

Highlighting the importance of GSP+ scheme, the Minister of State stated that Pakistan-EU trade had increased under the present regime, which has contributed significantly towards growth and poverty alleviation in Pakistan and has been a win-win for both sides.