ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Kingdom have reaffirmed commitment to take bilateral relationship forward and work for shared prosperity.

The commitment was made at 4th review of Pakistan-UK Enhanced Strategic Dialogue in London.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi led the Pakistani side while the British delegation was headed by their Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

The two sides agreed to continue building upon the cooperation within the framework of Enhanced Strategic Dialogue to take this partnership forward.

They agreed to work together to facilitate business to business contacts, explore niche areas for investment, improve the business climate and raise awareness about market opportunities in Pakistan.

The British Foreign Secretary announced the UK Department for International Trade’s decision to double the available support for exports to Pakistan from up to 400 million pounds to one billion pounds as part of the growing cooperation in economic terms between the two countries.

The two leaders also reaffirmed their continuing cooperation in security and counter terrorism measures in accordance with the National Action Plan.

The Foreign Office said, “They agreed to enhance capacity building and information sharing as part of their commitment to achieve greater success in the global fight against terrorism and terror financing, organised crime, money laundering and illegal migration. Both sides pledged to move forward with an early conclusion of the extradition treaty and readmission agreement.”

Foreign Minister Qureshi highlighted the productive discussions he had earlier in the day with the Secretary of State for International Development Rory Stewart and pledged to continue to build upon those interactions for poverty alleviation and capacity building. 

Both sides agreed to carry forward the institutional framework of ESD in the areas of culture and education forward to build upon the people to people links and the extraordinary personal connections between the two countries.