Pakistan Secures Saudi Financial Support and Oil Facility
July 21, 2026
Pakistan and Canada have agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, energy, mining, and industrial development while enhancing collaboration through trade and minerals delegations and annual progress reviews.
Pakistan and Canada have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, with a renewed focus on expanding cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, energy, mining and industrial development. The understanding was reached during Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand’s official visit to Islamabad, where she met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
According to Business Recorder and Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), both countries agreed to strengthen economic engagement by expanding cooperation across priority sectors and exchanging trade and minerals delegations to identify new investment opportunities.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed Foreign Minister Anita Anand and said, “Pakistan and Canada enjoy friendly relations that should be further expanded,” particularly in “trade and investment, agriculture and agri-foods, vaccine manufacturing, renewable energy, and the automobile and auto parts industries.”
During the meeting, 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 recalled his telephone conversation with the Canadian premier earlier this year and thanked Canada for supporting Pakistan’s efforts to promote regional peace.
Anita Anand conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Mark Carney and said, “My visit is aimed at broadening Canada’s engagement with Pakistan on the instructions of the Prime Minister.” She added that Canada was interested in exploring “new avenues of cooperation, particularly in agriculture, mining, energy, and the automotive sector.”
The two sides also discussed the importance of the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPPA). Anand observed that “the agreement would help boost Canadian investors’ confidence in Pakistan,” while both countries agreed to continue facilitating investment and strengthening commercial partnerships.
Recognising the contribution of the Pakistani diaspora in Canada, both sides described the community as “an important bridge between the two countries.” They agreed to exchange trade and minerals delegations to identify mutually beneficial opportunities and further expand bilateral economic cooperation.
Following the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz witnessed the signing of a protocol on phytosanitary regulations governing the import of Canadian canola into Pakistan. The protocol was signed by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Foreign Minister Anita Anand on behalf of their respective governments, marking another step towards strengthening agricultural cooperation.
Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar held separate talks with Anand, during which both leaders reviewed recent developments in bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international issues. According to the reports, they agreed to hold annual meetings to review progress on the implementation of their Joint Statement and maintain momentum in bilateral cooperation.
Separately, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also met the Canadian foreign minister to discuss cooperation in security, trade and law enforcement. Both sides exchanged views on preventing illegal immigration, combating human smuggling and cybercrime, while agreeing to expedite the signing of a memorandum of understanding to strengthen institutional collaboration.
Speaking during the meeting, Naqvi said, “Pakistan wants to promote relations with Canada in all sectors,” adding that “the Pakistani community is playing an active role in the development of both countries.” Anand echoed the commitment, stating, “We attach importance to relations with Pakistan. We are keen to promote bilateral relations,” and emphasised that “a framework should be established to promote mutual cooperation.”
The latest engagements reflect the growing momentum in Pakistan-Canada relations, with both governments seeking to expand collaboration beyond traditional diplomatic ties into trade, investment, agriculture, energy, security and people-to-people exchanges. The agreements are expected to create new economic opportunities while strengthening long-term institutional cooperation between the two countries.
