ISLAMABAD: The European Union (EU) and Pakistan pressed Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to take “constructive” steps on regional security as cross-border tensions rose in October, according to a joint communiqué issued this week by Pakistan’s Foreign Office following the seventh EU–Pakistan Strategic Dialogue in Brussels.
Co-chaired by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, the meeting reviewed progress under the 2019 Strategic Engagement Plan and reaffirmed what both sides called a “shared commitment” to regional peace, stability and the rules-based international order.
Dar said Pakistan remained committed to “resolving issues through dialogue between neighbors,” while Kallas underscored the EU’s emphasis on “peaceful solutions, full respect for international law and close cooperation on security challenges.”
Both sides urged Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to help “root out terrorism from Afghan soil,” warning that regional stability hinged on effective counterterrorism efforts.
The communiqué noted concern over Afghanistan’s “deteriorating socio-economic conditions” and backed a “credible political process” aligned with the UN-led Doha framework and the Taliban’s previous commitments to the international community.
Acknowledging Pakistan’s decades-long role in hosting millions of Afghans, the EU stressed that any returns must be “safe, dignified and in line with international standards.”
Both sides also called on Kabul to ensure protection of human rights, “especially for women, girls and vulnerable communities.”
The dialogue also covered trade, migration, climate, food and energy security, and education cooperation through Erasmus Mundus and Horizon Europe.
Both reaffirmed strong political commitment to the Generalized Scheme of Preferences, described as a key pillar of EU–Pakistan relations, while the EU briefed Pakistan on the process toward adopting a new GSP framework.
The delegations exchanged views on Ukraine, Jammu and Kashmir and the Middle East.
They welcomed the agreement on the first phase of the Comprehensive Plan to end the Gaza conflict, urging all parties to respect the ceasefire, implement subsequent phases and allow unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza.
According to the Foreign Office, the EU and Pakistan agreed to hold the eighth round of the Strategic Dialogue in Islamabad.
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