Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and EU leaders review bilateral relations, GSP Plus and regional and global developments during their meeting in New York.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met European Council President António LuÃs Santos da Costa and European Commission President Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Sept. 23, 2026.
The meeting focused on the full spectrum of Pakistan-European Union relations, with the leaders expressing satisfaction over the growing momentum in high-level exchanges and engagement between Pakistan and the EU.
Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthening its broad-based partnership with the European Union and ensuring the full implementation of the Pakistan-EU Strategic Engagement Plan.
The prime minister emphasized the importance of sustained leadership-level engagement to provide greater direction and momentum to bilateral relations.
During the meeting, Shehbaz Sharif highlighted the importance of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP Plus) for Pakistan’s economic development, employment generation and trade with the European Union.
He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to continued engagement with the EU under the GSP Plus framework.
The leaders also exchanged views on regional and global developments and reaffirmed the importance of dialogue, diplomacy, international law and the peaceful resolution of disputes.
Shehbaz Sharif reiterated his invitation to the presidents of the European Council and European Commission to visit Pakistan. He also expressed his desire to continue working closely with the EU leadership to further deepen the mutually beneficial partnership between Pakistan and the European Union.
The meeting took place during the prime minister’s visit to New York for the 2026 United Nations General Assembly session, where Pakistan has been engaged in high-level diplomatic discussions with international leaders.
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