Canada, Pakistan reset ties with landmark visit

Dubai: Pakistan and Canada agreed on Monday to elevate their relationship by expanding cooperation in trade, investment, critical minerals and security, as Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand made the first visit by a Canadian foreign minister to Islamabad in nearly two decades, a diplomatic milestone expected to inject fresh momentum into ties between the two countries.

The visit comes at a time when both countries are seeking to diversify economic partnerships amid shifting global geopolitical and trade dynamics. It also reflects growing recognition of Pakistan’s strategic importance in South Asia and Canada’s interest in strengthening its engagement in the Indo-Pacific region while leveraging the strong people-to-people links created by the more than 300,000 Canadians of Pakistani origin.

Following delegation-level talks, the two countries agreed to institutionalise bilateral engagement through annual ministerial meetings to monitor progress under a joint statement, signalling a move towards a more structured and sustained partnership.

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar described Anand’s visit as an “important milestone” in bilateral relations, saying economic cooperation would remain a key priority.

“Her visit is an important milestone in Pakistan-Canada relations and reflects our shared commitment to further strengthening our bilateral ties,” Dar said after talks with his Canadian counterpart.

The ministers discussed expanding trade and investment, facilitating business-to-business partnerships and increasing cooperation in education, energy, mining, critical minerals, agriculture, infrastructure, information technology, science and technology, labour mobility and climate change.

Pakistan also invited Canadian companies to explore investment opportunities in emerging technologies and priority sectors, while both sides reaffirmed their commitment to concluding the long-pending Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPPA), which is expected to provide greater confidence to investors from both countries.

In another outcome of the talks, Islamabad and Ottawa agreed to sign a new protocol governing imports of Canadian canola, while Pakistan’s National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will explore technical cooperation to strengthen agricultural trade.

Anand said her visit marked “an important day” in the bilateral relationship, noting it was the first by a Canadian foreign minister in almost 20 years.

“Our two countries have shared 80 years of diplomatic relations … there is continued work to do to deepen our ties in the area of economic relationships, trade and investment,” she said.

Beyond economic cooperation, the two ministers exchanged views on regional and global developments, including Afghanistan and counterterrorism cooperation.

The visit is also significant for Canada, whose government said it forms part of Ottawa’s efforts to deepen strategic partnerships across the Indo-Pacific. Canada described Anand’s trip as a “significant milestone” in bilateral relations, highlighting bilateral merchandise trade worth approximately $1.2 billion in 2025 and ongoing negotiations on an investment protection agreement.

Officials from both countries expressed confidence that the renewed engagement would translate into concrete outcomes through regular dialogue, stronger institutional cooperation and increased collaboration across economic and strategic sectors.