Dar and Canadian FM Anita Anand hold high-level talks in Islamabad

Canada and Pakistan have “work to do together” amid a “shifting international order,” and the “rewiring of the global economic regime”, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said on Monday as she held talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar during the first bilateral visit by a Canadian foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly two decades.

Opening the meeting at the Foreign Office, Anand 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, Anand added, “In light of the shifting international order and the rewiring of the global economic regime, we have work to do together.”

Dar welcomed Anand 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.

Calling Anand’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.

Anand 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 Foreign Minister Ishaq 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.

According to the statement, Anand’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).

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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.