The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today spoke with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Foreign Affairs Minister of Pakistan. This call marked the first interaction between ministers.
Minister Joly congratulated her counterpart on his appointment in April as Foreign Minister.
The long-standing friendship between both countries is underpinned by strong and enduring people-to-people ties. The ministers noted that this year is a significant milestone for both countries, marking Pakistan's 75 years of independence as well as 75 years of diplomatic relations with Canada. The ministers agreed to build on this strong foundation and deepen cooperation across the multifaceted bilateral relationship between Canada and Pakistan.
The ministers agreed to pursue collaboration on a range of shared interests, noting in particular their shared commitment to advancing gender equality and women's empowerment as well as regional peace and security. Among a number of successful collaborations, Minister Joly expressed Canada's deep appreciation for Pakistan's critical role in ensuring the safe passage of vulnerable Afghans out of Afghanistan. She reiterated Canada's commitment to bring to safety at least 40,000 Afghan refugees to Canada.
Minister Joly and Minister Bhutto Zardari reiterated the importance of high-level engagement between Canada and Pakistan.
