President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday said Pakistan was looking forward to negotiations for a free trade agreement with the EU and hoped that the UK’s support would help the country qualify for the revised GSP Plus scheme.
“Such arrangement will help Pakistan increase its exports, generate thousands of jobs and move towards economic stability necessary for combating militancy,” the president said while talking to Theresa May, UK home secretary and minister for women and equality, who called on the president at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.
Briefing reporters, president’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar said a wide spectrum of Pak-UK bilateral relations including trade, enhanced strategic dialogue, war against militancy and Pakistani Diaspora in the UK, was discussed during the meeting.
The president said Pakistan wanted to enhance bilateral relations based on mutuality of respect, trust and interest. He said enhanced strategic dialogue between the two countries had facilitated structured interaction and called for vigorously pursuing all five strands of ESD to intensify mutual partnership.
