Pakistan along with the Republic of Ireland on Thursday held the Fourth Session of Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC) in Islamabad on May 18, 2023. During the meeting, the delegation from the Pakistan side was led by the Ambassador Muhammad Saleem, Additional Foreign Secretary (Europe) while Deputy Secretary General at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland, Sonja Hyland represented the Irish delegation during the meeting.
It is to be mentioned that the delegation from both the sides during the meeting has reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral ties. The Additional Secretary highlighted the commitment of Pakistan for further broadening as well as deepening of relation with Ireland in the fields of trade, academic exchanges, culture, sports, science and tech, along with the harmonization of the visa regime as well as migration and mobility.
During the meeting, the Additional Foreign Secretary in an attempt has welcomed the decision of Ireland to open up its Embassy in the capital city of Islamabad. Following the meeting, the Additional Foreign Secretary highlighted that it would be an imperative milestone in Pakistan-Ireland ties. He further said that, “The Irish Embassy in Islamabad and the Embassy of Pakistan in Dublin have major roles to play in bolstering the bilateral ties, and promoting people to people contacts specifically in facilitating Pakistani businessmen as well as students.
At the same time, the delegation from both the sides have also held discussions on the collaborations at the international forums, including at the United Nations. They discovered a convergence of views on significant issues and also agreed to continue cooperation at the multilateral fora. Regional as well as the global issues of mutual interests were also topics of concern during the consultations.
It is to be considered that both the sides have also agreed to make bilateral political consultations a regular feature of bilateral dialogue and engagement. Notably, the coming next round of consultations will take place in Dublin in 2024.
