ISLAMABAD, MAR 13 (DNA) – The 8th Round of Pakistan-Czech Republic Bilateral Political Consultations was held in Islamabad today. The Pakistan side was led Mr. Zaheer A. Janjua, Additional Secretary (Europe), while the Czech delegation was headed by Ivan Jančárek Junior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs.

The two sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and identified opportunities and possibilities for further cooperation, especially in the spheres of trade, investment, defence, education, culture, parliamentary exchanges and people-to-people contacts.

Additional Secretary (Europe) briefed the Czech delegation on Pakistan’s emerging economy, future prospects of growth, and invited the Czech companies to invest in the energy, SMEs, information and communication technology, water management and agriculture sectors.

The two sides discussed mutual collaboration at international fora, including at the UN and the European Union, and exchanged views on global and regional issues of mutual interest. They found convergence of views on important issues and agreed to continue cooperation at the multilateral fora. They expressed satisfaction at the overall progress of bilateral relations, and committed to enhance cooperation in all fields, particularly to boost trade and economic relations. The Czech side expressed deep appreciation and acknowledged Pakistan’s contribution and sacrifices in the fight against terrorism.

The Czech side was apprised of the current situation in the South Asian region, especially in Afghanistan, Pakistan-India relations and human rights violations in the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Initiated in 2005, Bilateral Political Consultations are a useful framework to review progress in various spheres and identify avenues of future cooperation between the two countries. The 7thround of BPC was held in Prague in May 2016 and the next round will be held in Prague in 2019 at mutually agreed dates.