ISLAMABAD: The Visegrad 4 (V4) Group of European countries intends to have greater cooperation with Pakistan and possibly develop a cooperative framework on the lines of the group’s engagement with Japan.

Speaking at a media briefing on Monday, Polish Ambassador to Pakistan Piotr Opalinski, whose country is currently holding the presidency of V4, said like V4 + Japan cooperation “we hope for V4 + Pakistan cooperation under V4+ mechanism in future”.

The media briefing was held on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Visegrad cooperation. The Polish envoy was accompanied by Ambassador of Hungary Bela Fazekas and the deputy head of mission of Czech Republic in Islamabad on the occasion.

V4, established in 1991, is a political, economic and cultural grouping within the European Union comprising Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.

The V4 group was described in a statement issued here by the Polish embassy as an “effective format of regional cooperation within the European Union which contributes to the shaping of European policies and enhancing its economic competitiveness”.

Japan’s cooperation framework with V4 countries has helped expand political ties. Similarly, economic relationship between Japan and V4 countries has grown, but challenges remain.

The envoys, while speaking at the briefing, recalled the bilateral cooperation of their respective countries with Pakistan especially in the fields of energy, trade and education and hoped for increased collaboration in the near future. They expressed their interest in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects and said it represented an opportunity for cooperation.

Polish Ambassador Opalinski said his country was exploring the possibility of joining the infrastructure projects. Ambassador Fazekas of Hungary, meanwhile, called for a bilateral investment treaty between Pakistan and his country to provide for legal cover to Hungarian investments.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2021

Opinion

Editorial

Anti-women state
25 Nov, 2024

Anti-women state

GLOBALLY, women are tormented by the worst tools of exploitation: rape, sexual abuse, GBV, IPV, and more are among...
IT sector concerns
25 Nov, 2024

IT sector concerns

PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ambitious plan to increase Pakistan’s IT exports from $3.2bn to $25bn in the ...
Israel’s war crimes
25 Nov, 2024

Israel’s war crimes

WHILE some powerful states are shielding Israel from censure, the court of global opinion is quite clear: there is...
Short-changed?
Updated 24 Nov, 2024

Short-changed?

As nations continue to argue, the international community must recognise that climate finance is not merely about numbers.
Overblown ‘threat’
24 Nov, 2024

Overblown ‘threat’

ON the eve of the PTI’s ‘do or die’ protest in the federal capital, there seemed to be little evidence of the...
Exclusive politics
24 Nov, 2024

Exclusive politics

THERE has been a gradual erasure of the voices of most marginalised groups from Pakistan’s mainstream political...