Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand discussed strengthening bilateral trade and cooperation between the two countries, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Friday.
In a statement, the FO said Dar received a call the previous night from Anand.
“The two leaders discussed strengthening bilateral trade and investment, including sectors such as agriculture and mines and minerals, and collaboration under the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPPA),” the FO said.
He added that the Canadian foreign minister thanked Dar for facilitating market access for Canadian canola imports to Pakistan.
“Both leaders appreciated the recent constructive engagements and reaffirmed their commitment to promoting mutually beneficial economic cooperation,” the FO said, adding that the two foreign ministers agreed to remain in close contact.
Anand also commented on his phone call with Dar in a post on social media platform X.
“We discussed a range of issues, including Pakistan’s opening to Canadian canola imports, the FIPPA model and bilateral economic engagement,” he said.
He also thanked Dar for the “productive meetings” over the past few months in Kuala Lumpur and New York, as well as for the phone call.
Pakistan’s imports from Canada mainly include pulses and canola seeds.
During the last fiscal year, Pakistan’s merchandise exports to North America grew by 9.97 percent in FY25, reaching $6.415 billion compared to $5.833 billion in the previous year. Data compiled by the central bank attributed the rebound to increased exports of textiles and clothing to the United States, which accounted for nearly 94 percent of Pakistan’s total exports to the region; the remaining part went mainly to Canada.
