PM Shehbaz Sharif, Canadian Foreign Minister Agree to Enhance Trade and Investment Cooperation

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand agreed to strengthen bilateral trade and investment ties during a meeting held at the Prime Minister’s House, where they discussed a wide range of issues including economic cooperation and regional developments.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain, Prime Minister’s Adviser Dr. Syed Tauqir Shah, and other senior officials.

Welcoming the Canadian Foreign Minister, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized that Pakistan and Canada enjoy longstanding friendly relations and highlighted the need to expand cooperation in key sectors such as trade, investment, agriculture, agri-foods, vaccine production, renewable energy, automobiles, and auto parts manufacturing.

The Prime Minister conveyed his best wishes to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and expressed his desire to meet him in the near future. He also thanked Canada for its support of peace efforts in the region during their previous telephone conversation held in April.

Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand thanked the Government of Pakistan for the warm reception and stated that her visit was undertaken on the direction of Prime Minister Mark Carney to further strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

Islamabad : 20 July , 2026.

H.E. Ms. Anita Anand, Foreign Minister of Canada, who is on an official visit to Pakistan, called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister House, earlier today.

Deputy Prime Minister & Foreign Minister Sen. Mohammad Ishaq Dar,… pic.twitter.com/SeqbYZQo7l

— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) July 20, 2026

She expressed Canada’s keen interest in exploring new opportunities for trade and investment in agriculture, minerals, energy, and the automobile and auto parts sectors. She noted that the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPPA) would play an important role in boosting the confidence of Canadian investors in Pakistan.

Both sides acknowledged the significant role of the Pakistani diaspora in Canada in strengthening people-to-people ties and agreed to exchange delegations in the fields of trade and minerals to explore new avenues for bilateral economic cooperation.

Following the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended the signing ceremony of the Phytosanitary Protocol for the import of canola from Canada to Pakistan. The agreement was signed by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on behalf of Pakistan and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand on behalf of Canada.