11th round of Pakistan-Norway bilateral political consultations held in Oslo
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OSLO, Norway: The 11th Round of Pakistan-Norway Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC) was held in Oslo on December 6, 2021.
The Pakistani side was headed by the Additional Secretary (Europe) Dr. Muhammad Tariq while the Norwegian delegation was headed by the Director General of the Regional Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Vebjørn Dysvik.
Pakistani Ambassador to Norway Babar Amin also attended the meeting.
The two sides reviewed the full range of bilateral relations and discussed opportunities for future cooperation, especially in the areas of trade and investment, energy, education, parliamentary exchanges, health and global pandemics, culture and improved people-to-people contacts.
The Additional Secretary (Europe) informed the Norwegian side about the government’s shift from geopolitics to geo-economics.
Dr Muhammad Tariq called on Norwegian companies to benefit from Pakistan’s investor-friendly policies, especially in the areas of clean and green energy, climate change and agriculture. He also proposed the creation of a joint economic commission and the opening of negotiations on a bilateral investment treaty between the two countries.
The Norwegian side has been briefed on Pakistan’s efforts to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan. He stressed that the international community should help the Afghan people to avoid a humanitarian crisis.
The Norwegian side appreciated Pakistan’s assistance in the evacuation of Norwegian nationals from Afghanistan and expressed gratitude for acceding to Norway’s request to allow additional diplomats to be based in Islamabad to deal with the Afghan affairs.
Dr Tariq briefed his Norwegian counterpart on the atrocities committed by Indian security forces in illegally occupied Indian Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and the unilateral actions of the Indian government to change its demographic structure. He hopes Norway will use its good offices to pressure India to reverse illegitimate Indian actions and take appropriate action to end human rights violations in the IIOJK.
The two delegations expressed their satisfaction with their cooperation in international fora, including the United Nations, and decided to continue their mutual support.
The Additional Secretary also visited the State Secretary of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Henrik Thune.
They discussed matters of mutual interest and cooperation on regional and international issues.
The additional secretary highlighted the atrocities perpetrated by Indian security forces at IIOJK.
Dr Tariq also visited the Chair of the Norwegian Parliament‘s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Ms Ine Eriksen Søreide.
The Additional Secretary stressed the importance of enhanced bilateral and parliamentary cooperation. He shared Pakistan’s perspective on Afghanistan and the human rights situation in the IIOJK.
Dr Tariq invited Mr Thune and Ms Søreide to visit Pakistan.
Pakistan and Norway have a long-standing cooperative relationship, both bilaterally and multilaterally. A large Pakistani community resides in Norway and contributes positively to their society. Norway is one of the main investors in Pakistan.
The next round of the Pakistan-Norway BPC will be held in Islamabad on mutually agreed dates.
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