Islamabad, Pakistan and Canada agreed to usher in a new phase of bilateral relations by expanding cooperation in trade, investment, defence, security, renewable energy, agriculture, climate resilience and people-to-people exchanges during the first official visit of Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand to Pakistan.
At the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Anita Anand held detailed talks at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and also called on Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, at General Headquarters (GHQ), Rawalpindi.
During the meeting at GHQ, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and the Canadian Foreign Minister discussed matters of mutual interest, regional security and bilateral relations. The Army Chief highlighted Pakistan’s perspective on global peace and regional stability, emphasizing the importance of cooperation to address common security challenges. Minister Anand appreciated Pakistan’s sacrifices and ongoing efforts in the fight against terrorism and acknowledged its constructive role in promoting regional peace and stability. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening defence and security cooperation.
In their official talks, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Minister Anand expressed satisfaction over the renewed momentum in bilateral engagement and agreed to strengthen Pakistan-Canada relations through enhanced trade, investment, strategic cooperation and people-to-people contacts. They reviewed progress since the sixth round of Bilateral Consultations held in February 2026 and agreed to expand cooperation through stronger economic, academic and institutional linkages.
The two ministers also discussed Pakistan’s mediation efforts regarding the ongoing regional conflict. Minister Anand thanked Pakistan for its role in facilitating the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and both sides stressed the importance of a sustainable ceasefire, implementation of the commitments under the Islamabad MoU and continued cooperation to promote regional and global peace.
Recognizing the contribution of more than 300,000 members of the Pakistani diaspora and over 9,000 Pakistani students in Canada, both countries agreed to further strengthen cultural, educational and tourism exchanges, improve mobility and encourage greater parliamentary cooperation.
Pakistan and Canada agreed to accelerate negotiations on the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA) and revive the Pakistan-Canada Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment. They emphasized that trade and investment would remain key drivers of shared prosperity and economic resilience.
The two sides also agreed to diversify business opportunities in clean energy, mining and critical minerals, infrastructure, agriculture, emerging technologies, environmental protection and sustainability while encouraging greater business-to-business engagement and exchange of trade delegations.
Welcoming Canadian investment in Pakistan, the ministers noted that JCM Power’s 240-megawatt Dhabeji Hybrid Wind-Solar Project, being developed in partnership with K-Electric, has received all required regulatory approvals and will contribute significantly to Pakistan’s renewable energy supply. They also agreed to encourage further Canadian investment in solar, wind and battery storage technologies.
In the agriculture sector, both countries agreed to expand two-way trade in canola, oilseeds, lentils, soybeans, cereals, rice, spices and fruit. They signed a new protocol establishing predictable phytosanitary import conditions for Canadian canola and agreed to enhance cooperation on agri-food value chains, agri-technology, food safety, sanitary and phytosanitary standards through collaboration between relevant authorities.
Recognizing the strategic importance of critical minerals, Pakistan and Canada agreed to promote bilateral trade and investment across the mining value chain, including exploration and mining services. Minister Anand also invited Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar to attend the 2027 Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference.
The two countries reaffirmed close cooperation at the United Nations and other multilateral forums and exchanged views on regional peace and security, the situation in Afghanistan and the ongoing threat of terrorism. They also agreed to strengthen cooperation in counterterrorism and combating transnational organized crime, with Canada announcing continued support for Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts through the United Nations, INTERPOL and other international organizations.
Minister Anand further announced new Canadian development assistance projects in education, climate resilience and health. Concluding the visit, both sides agreed that Pakistan-Canada relations have entered a new era of opportunity and pledged to maintain regular high-level exchanges while reviewing progress annually to further strengthen the strategic partnership.
