AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSION
ISLAMABAD

Press Release

Australia and Pakistan hold Bilateral Policy Consultations and Joint Trade Committee Meeting in Islamabad

A multi-agency delegation from Australia met with officials from Pakistan’s Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Commerce in Islamabad today to discuss the growth in the Australia-Pakistan bilateral relationship over the past two years and examine ways to expand cooperation in a range of new areas.

The delegations for the Bilateral Policy Consultations (BPC) were led by Ms Deborah Stokes (First Assistant Secretary with responsibility for South and West Asia and Middle East in the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) and Mr Masood Khalid (Additional Secretary for Asia and Pacific in Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

The BPCs covered a wide range of issues, including Australia-Pakistan development cooperation in the health, education, governance and rural development sectors, which has doubled to A$120 million (over 9 billion Pakistani rupees) over the next two years. Australia and Pakistan have been negotiating a new Memorandum of Understanding for a multi-year partnership on development. The significant program of Australian for Pakistanis to study in Australia was also discussed.

Both sides discussed shared interest in promoting stability in the region. In 2010, Australia will provide 140 placements for Pakistan’s Armed Forces to train in Australia. Australia and Pakistan are increasing law enforcement cooperation, focused on investigating and preventing transnational crimes including terrorism and drug trafficking.

Separately the Australian delegation held the second Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meeting with officials from the Ministry of Commerce, led by Senior Joint Secretary Himayat Ullah Khan. The first meeting of the JTC was held in Cairns, Australia, in 2006, where both countries discussed avenues of bilateral economic and trade cooperation. The second JTC discussed a range requests by Pakistan for access to the Australian market, and cooperation in energy and agriculture sectors, including the successful Agriculture Sector Linkages Program. The two sides also discussed a range of other ways to help to boost two-way trade and investment.

Following the talks, Australia and Pakistan agreed to work together to develop a number of concrete outcomes, focused on development in Pakistan, expanding two-way dialogue, measures to enhance stability in the region and cooperation on economic and trade issues.

16 February 2010

Contact: Mr James McGarry – 051 835 5500