Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s statement after meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown

 

I am grateful to Prime Minister Gordon Brown for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to me and the members of my delegation.

 

We had agreed on 13 May this year during President Zardari’s meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown to establish a multi-tier Strategic Dialogue encompassing cooperation in a wide range of areas. The Dialogue is meant to comprehensively upgrade the entire gamut of bilateral relations.

 

We held the First meeting this morning in which we reviewed the state of long-standing and excellent relations between our two countries spanning over 62 years. We discussed the regional issues, including the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan-India relations.

 

For a follow-up to this Summit Foreign Minister Qureshi and Foreign Secretary Miliband will meet on a mutually convenient date next year.

 

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We have also taken stock of the outcome of the first Summit of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan and the Pak-EU Summit. I have shared with Prime Minister Brown my Government’s strategy to achieve the benchmarks set during the two Summits.

 

I have briefed Prime Minister Gordon Brown on the progress achieved as a result of the military operations in Swat and Malakand as well as in our tribal areas against the militants. Prime Minister Brown paid tribute to the people and security personnel for sacrifices they have rendered in the fight against terrorism.

 

On the bilateral plane, we discussed security cooperation, assistance required to build the capacity of our law enforcement agencies, economic and development assistance extended by the United Kingdom in its early disbursement and the consular issues between our two countries.

 

I have requested Prime Minister Gordon Brown that UK should play a leading role in materialization of Pakistan’s requests for provision GSP+ status and early commencement of Free Trade Agreement negotiations with the European Union. We are grateful that the United Kingdom has always supported Pakistan at the EU and we hope that its support as well as of other important members of the European Union will soon translate in the EU’s overall progress on both these issues.

 

One again, I thank the Prime Minister for his gracious hospitality.  

 

 

December 3, 2009

10 Downing, London

 

 

Last updated: December 10, 2009