Canada FM expresses govt’s ‘keen desire’ to explore trade, cooperation in PM Shehbaz meeting
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand on Monday expressed her government’s desire to explore new opportunities for trade and bilateral cooperation during a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Anita, who is on an official visit to Pakistan, called on PM Shehbaz at the Prime Minister’s House after holding a one-on-one meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the Canadian foreign minister expressed her government’s interest in expanding trade and cooperation, particularly in agriculture, mining, energy, automobile and auto parts sectors.
Anita conveyed the good wishes of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to PM Shehbaz and said her visit was undertaken on the instructions of her prime minister to further strengthen Canada’s relations with Pakistan.
She said the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPPA) would help enhance Canadian investors’ confidence to invest in Pakistan.
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
The PMO said PM Shehbaz welcomed the Canadian foreign minister and noted that Pakistan and Canada enjoyed friendly ties that needed to be further expanded.
“The two countries enjoyed friendly ties that needed to be further expanded, particularly in the areas of trade, investment, agriculture, including agri-foods and vaccine manufacturing, renewable energy, as well as the automobile and auto parts industry,” PM Shehbaz said.
He conveyed his greetings and best wishes to PM Carney and expressed his desire to meet him soon. He also recalled his telephone conversation with his Canadian counterpart in April and thanked Canada for supporting Pakistan’s regional peace efforts, according to the statement.
The two sides agreed that the Pakistani-Canadian community served as an important bridge between the two countries.
“They also agreed to exchange delegations in the fields of trade and minerals cooperation to explore mutually beneficial opportunities and further enhance bilateral trade and investment prospects,” the statement added.
PM Shehbaz also witnessed the signing of a protocol on phytosanitary regulations governing the import of Canadian canola into Pakistan. The agreement was signed by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Canadian counterpart.
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 and Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Anita Anand @AnitaAnandMP, signed the Protocol on the Phytosanitary Import Requirements for Genetically Modified Canola Intended for Food, Feed and… pic.twitter.com/TLnp8J6WJU
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 20, 2026
Earlier, while addressing a joint media briefing after high-level talks with FM Dar, Anita announced that Canada would invest more than $2.2 million in three new security initiatives with Pakistan and launch $45 million in development assistance programmes.
She said the two countries “have meaningful opportunities” to deepen cooperation as Ottawa seeks to diversify its global trade partnerships, during the first bilateral visit by a Canadian foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly two decades.
“Canada is pursuing a trade diversification strategy, and we will double non-US trade over the next 10 years,” she said, adding that “Pakistan is an important country in terms of our trade diversification strategy.”
She said the two countries, which share 80 years of diplomatic relations, had agreed to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, and economic development.
“We are committed to expanding trade and investment through a new Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement, known as a FIPA, to be completed at the earliest possible date,” she said, adding that the agreement would provide businesses in both countries with “greater predictability and confidence to invest and to grow.”
On regional issues, Anita acknowledged Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, “in supporting dialogue aimed at achieving a sustainable and peaceful resolution to the regional tensions in the Middle East, including involving Iran.”
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 met with Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Anita Anand @AnitaAnandMP, today in Islamabad.
The two sides reviewed recent developments in Pakistan–Canada bilateral relations and exchanged views… pic.twitter.com/ioP5UYhgZY
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 20, 2026
She added that Canada remained “concerned by the escalation of tensions across the Middle East and Gulf region” and was “troubled by attacks on civilian infrastructure, including power and water desalination facilities”, urging all parties to “exercise restraint, prioritise the protection of civilians, and pursue dialogue.”
Anita announced that Canada would invest more than $2.2 million in three new security initiatives with Pakistan through Interpol, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The initiatives, she said, would support cooperation on border management, counter-terrorism, financial crime, and specialised training for law enforcement agencies.
“Pakistan is an important partner for Canada in South Asia and beyond,” Anita said. “We’ve seen this in the talks that Pakistan has hosted during various phases of the Iran war.”
On trade, Anita thanked Dar for facilitating greater access for Canadian agricultural exports, saying Pakistan had imported more than 470,000 tonnes of Canadian canola over the past year.
“We appreciate this continued cooperation,” she said, adding that Canada hoped to see “more Pakistani products on Canadian shelves, from rice and textiles to sporting goods.”
She also highlighted opportunities in clean energy and mining, pointing to the upcoming 240-megawatt Dabeji hybrid wind and solar project being developed by Canadian company JCM Power with Karachi Electric, as well as Barrick Gold’s investment in the Reko Diq mining project.
Anita further announced $45 million in new Canadian development assistance for Pakistan, saying the funding would help communities adapt to climate change, strengthen disaster resilience, expand access to education “particularly for girls”, improve reproductive health services, and support recovery from devastating floods.
“From development cooperation to security collaboration to expanded trade and investment, Canada and Pakistan have meaningful opportunities to strengthen our relationship for the benefit of both of our peoples,” she said.
High-level talks
Earlier, the two counterparts had held high-level meetings. During the on-camera portion of the talks, the Canadian FM said that the two countries have “work to do together” amid a “shifting international order,” and the “rewiring of the global economic regime.”
Opening the meeting at the Foreign Office, Anita said the visit marked a renewed effort to strengthen ties between the two countries. “We have more work to do together to ensure that, across sectors in our respective economies, from agriculture to agri-food to manufacturing and beyond, there is a strong bilateral relationship,” she said.
Referring to broader geopolitical and economic changes, Anita added, “In light of the shifting international order and the rewiring of the global economic regime, we have work to do together.”
Dar welcomed Anita and her delegation, noting that the two foreign ministers had maintained frequent contact over the past year, meeting on the sidelines of international gatherings in New York, Kuala Lumpur, and Davos, in addition to holding several telephone conversations.
“I think that shows our active diplomacy with each other,” Dar said.
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 welcomed Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Anita Anand @AnitaAnandMP, upon her arrival at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad today.
The two leaders are holding talks on the full… pic.twitter.com/JI4LrfwEdU
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 20, 2026
Calling Anita’s trip “the first visit by a Canadian foreign minister to Pakistan in two decades”, Dar described the gap as “a long pause” and said the two countries needed to engage more frequently “in our capitals” as well as at multilateral forums.
“I think we have the capacity and the possibility of raising our bilateral relations in terms of trade, in terms of investment, in terms of defence, security. There is a huge scope,” he said.
Dar said Pakistan attached “great importance” to its long-standing relationship with Canada, describing it as one based on “mutual respect, democratic values, vibrant people-to-people ties and constructive cooperation at the bilateral and multilateral levels.”
He also pointed to Canada’s large Pakistani diaspora as an important pillar of the relationship.
“We hope today’s discussion will translate our renewed momentum, which we started last year, into concrete outcomes, providing clear direction for advancing our bilateral relationship,” he said.
Anita described her visit as the first by a Canadian foreign minister in almost 20 years and noted that it coincided with roughly eight decades of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
She said Canada, home to around 300,000 Canadians of Pakistani descent, was committed to building on the progress made in recent months.
“I look forward today to exchanging on the progress that we have made to date, and I also look forward to the further deepening of ties between Canada and Pakistan,” she said.
The two held high-level talks in Islamabad following the media address. Both sides described the move as a significant step towards strengthening ties, according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).
The statement stated that FM Dar welcomed his Canadian counterpart at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the two leaders held talks on the “full spectrum of Pakistan-Canada bilateral relations,” as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 welcomed Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Anita Anand @AnitaAnandMP, upon her arrival at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad today.
The two leaders are holding talks on the full… pic.twitter.com/JI4LrfwEdU
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 20, 2026
According to the statement, Anita’s visit is her first to Pakistan since assuming office and the first bilateral visit by a Canadian foreign minister in almost 20 years. Calling the visit “an important milestone in Pakistan-Canada relations,” MoFA said it underscored “the resolve of both sides to further strengthen bilateral engagement”.
It added that the talks focused on strengthening cooperation across a range of sectors while providing an opportunity for both countries to exchange views on issues of mutual interest.
In an earlier statement, MoFA said Anita would also call on Pakistan’s leadership. “Anita is also expected to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The visit underscores the shared commitment of both countries to expand mutual cooperation,” said Global Affairs Canada (GAC).
Read: Turkish, Bahrain, Canadian FMs praise Pakistan’s role in US-Iran peace deal
GAC noted that “Canada-Pakistan relations are underpinned by extensive people-to-people ties, with more than 300,000 Canadians of Pakistani origin in Canada and approximately 20,000 Canadians in Pakistan.” Further, it noted that in 2025, Canada-Pakistan bilateral merchandise trade totalled approximately $1.2 billion, with $499.7 million – up 65 per cent since 2024 – in Canadian exports to Pakistan and $696 million in imports.
In June 2026, Canada hosted the second round of negotiations toward a Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement with Pakistan.
Canada pursues a broad range of interests in its bilateral relations with Pakistan, including in trade and investment, climate resilience, energy security and critical minerals, people-to-people ties, governance and democracy, human rights, development cooperation, regional security and defence, counter-terrorism and anti-crime capacity building.Read More
