High Commissioner, Canadian Official Pledge Stronger Pakistan–Canada Partnership
Ottawa: Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Canada, Muhammad Saleem, on Thursday met with the Hon. Robert Oliphant, MP, Parliamentary Secretary to Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, in Ottawa, reaffirming both countries’ commitment to deepening and broadening their steadily expanding bilateral relationship.
The meeting, described as cordial and constructive, included a comprehensive review of Pakistan–Canada relations. Both sides expressed satisfaction with the positive momentum in political engagement, people-to-people connections, and parliamentary cooperation, and agreed on the importance of maintaining sustained high-level dialogue and institutional linkages to advance shared interests.
The High Commissioner outlined several priority areas for enhanced cooperation, including trade, investment, education, climate resilience, and innovation. He also briefed the Canadian side on upcoming bilateral engagements, trade and investment promotion activities, and initiatives designed to improve connectivity and strengthen business-to-business linkages between the two countries.
Discussions focused on expanding commercial relations by encouraging greater participation of Canadian companies in Pakistan’s priority sectors, while also promoting increased access for Pakistani exports to the Canadian market. Muhammad Saleem highlighted Pakistan’s investor-friendly policies and pointed to significant opportunities in sectors such as information technology, agriculture, renewable energy, and infrastructure development.
Robert Oliphant welcomed Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation and reaffirmed Canada’s interest in further deepening engagement with Islamabad. He praised the Pakistani diaspora in Canada as a vital bridge between the two countries, acknowledging its positive contribution to Canada’s social, cultural, and economic life.
Both sides reiterated their commitment to continued collaboration at bilateral and multilateral levels and agreed to maintain close coordination to translate shared objectives into practical outcomes, reinforcing the long-standing friendship between Pakistan and Canada.
