PM Shehbaz reaffirms GSP+ commitment in talks with EU leaders

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met European Council President António Luís Santos da Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday and reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to continued engagement with the European Union's GSP+ scheme, the Prime Minister's Office said. The Prime Minister's Office announced the meeting on Thursday.

The meeting reviewed the full spectrum of Pakistan-EU relations, and the leaders expressed satisfaction at the growing momentum in high-level exchanges, according to Dawn and the Associated Press of Pakistan. The GSP+ scheme is a European Union trade arrangement that grants Pakistan preferential access to the European market. The meetings took place on the margins of the General Assembly debate.

Separately, the prime minister met Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation, and reiterated his government's commitment to eradicating polio from Pakistan, Business Recorder reported. Shehbaz thanked the foundation for its long-standing assistance in that effort and recalled a recent visit by Gates Foundation officials to Pakistan earlier this month.

The prime minister appreciated the foundation's engagement in polio eradication, maternal and child health, nutrition, immunisation, digitisation and financial inclusion. Gates said polio eradication was vital to protect future generations from the crippling disease and acknowledged Pakistan's efforts under the prime minister's leadership, including his guidance to provincial governments for the countrywide polio vaccine programme, according to Business Recorder.

Shehbaz complimented the Gates Foundation as a trusted partner in Pakistan's socio-economic development and expressed interest in broadening collaboration in public health, agriculture, digital innovation and artificial intelligence. He also informed Gates about agricultural reforms focused on innovation, biotechnology, climate resilience, research and capacity-building for farmers.

The two sides agreed to explore opportunities for collaboration on improved seeds, livestock genetics and emerging agricultural technologies. The prime minister also extended an invitation to Bill Gates to visit Pakistan at his earliest convenience, Business Recorder added.