Islamabad
Senator Sherry Rehman, Parliamentary Leader of the PPP in the Senate and Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change, chaired a meeting with a visiting European Union Parliamentary Delegation from the Committee on Development (DEVE) at the Parliament House. The delegation was led by MEP Lukas Mandl (EPP, Austria), along with Robert Biedron (Vice Chair, DEVE) and other senior Members of the European Parliament. Senator Rehman welcomed the delegation and emphasized that parliament-to-parliament diplomacy is vital for developing shared responses to global challenges, particularly in development cooperation, climate resilience, trade, public health, displacement, and humanitarian crises.
“We appreciate and recognize that parliamentary dialogue is crucial for shaping joint agendas. We have worked extensively with European colleagues in global climate processes and multilateral platforms, and we value the EU’s continued engagement. Multilateralism is under strain worldwide, but for developing countries like Pakistan, it remains indispensable,” said Senator Rehman.
On economic cooperation, she underscored the importance of the EU’s support for the continuation and expansion of GSP+, highlighting that Pakistan’s exports to the EU stand at $9 billion within a $12 billion trade volume, making the EU Pakistan’s second-largest trading partner, accounting for 12.4% of total trade in 2024.
“Trade uplifts societies and creates the jobs we need. We look forward to expanded cooperation, including through the EU Global Gateway Initiative and the upcoming EU-Pakistan Business Forum,” she added.
