Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, chaired an important meeting on Monday. The meeting aimed to boost Pakistan’s trade and economic ties with the European Union (EU). According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dar stressed that the EU is a vital partner for Pakistan, especially through the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP-Plus). He said Pakistan has passed four GSP-Plus reviews and is dedicated to meeting all its requirements to grow trade with the EU. The GSP-Plus scheme allows developing countries to export goods to Europe with lower or zero tariffs. It offers special benefits to nations that follow rules on human rights, labour rights, and the environment. For Pakistan, GSP-Plus has helped key export sectors like textiles, leather products, and surgical instruments earn valuable foreign exchange. The meeting included top officials such as the Federal Minister for Law and Justice, Tariq Bajwa, Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch, and secretaries from commerce, interior, overseas Pakistanis, and human rights. Pakistan’s ambassador to the EU and other federal and provincial officers also joined. Earlier, in January 2026, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with the EU Ambassador to Pakistan, Raimundas Karoblis, and confirmed Pakistan’s plan to deepen trade ties under the GSP-Plus scheme. Since gaining GSP-Plus status in 2014, Pakistan saw its textile exports to the EU rise by 108%. In October 2023, the European Parliament extended the GSP-Plus benefits for Pakistan and other developing countries until 2027, ensuring continued duty-free access for many products.