ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani said European Union (EU) can benefit from a vast pool of skilled workforce of Pakistan by allowing legal migration.

Addressing a joint press stakeout along with European Union Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs Ylva Johansson here she said Islamabad is cognisant of EU’s concerns about illegal migration. She said her country has taken legislative and administrative measures to check and minimise illegal migration, which has now been completely stopped.

She said Pakistan and EU had signed strategic engagements plans in 2019 under which they were agreed to work toward a broader and mutually beneficial and comprehensive dialogue on migration and mobility with clear targets and joint commitments. Khar said Pakistan welcomes European Union’s commitment to launch dialogue on migration and mobility next year. She said Pakistan is a clear country that has exportable surplus of human resource, which can be beneficial for EU countries and rest of world. Keeping in view shortage of manpower in EU, she said 65 percent of our population is below age of thirty five. She said Pakistan has also established a mechanism to recruit and export manpower in many fields including IT. Pakistan is well placed today to provide EU required manpower. She said GSP Plus has been a mutually beneficial undertaking that played an important role in growth of Pakistan’s bilateral trade with EU countries.

She expressed hope that new GSP Plus regulation would continue to focus on its central tenets of supporting sustainable development. Ylva Johansson appreciated efforts of Pakistan for good and sound border management and sophisticated counter terrorism strategies that are being implemented. She said Pakistan is a very important strategic partner of EU and we can improve our relations in different fields specifically trade and border management.

Published in The Daily National Courier, November, 15 2022

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