ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday agreed to strengthen cooperation in multiple sectors as the two sides took part in the second round of Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC) in Abu Dhabi, Pakistan鈥檚 foreign ministry said. 

Pakistan and the UAE held their inaugural BPC session in 2020. The BPC is another forum for strengthening cooperation between the two countries that enjoy cordial ties rooted in shared faith, culture, economic, trade and investment ties. 
In the second round of the consultations, Pakistan鈥檚 delegation was led by Shehryar Akbar Khan, the additional foreign secretary (Middle East), while the UAE was led by Reem Ketait, the deputy assistant minister for political affairs.

鈥淒uring the consultations, both sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and reaffirmed their resolve to further strengthen cooperation across multiple sectors,鈥� Pakistan鈥檚 foreign ministry said. 

鈥淭he two sides discussed regional and global developments of mutual interest and reiterated their commitment to enhanced coordination and dialogue at multilateral forums.鈥�

Khan stressed further deepening fraternal ties between Pakistan and the UAE while both sides appreciated the positive trajectory of bilateral ties. Pakistan and the UAE also expressed satisfaction at the progress made under existing institutional mechanisms, including the Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) and regular leadership-level exchanges, the statement said. 

鈥淭he Bilateral Political Consultations concluded with both sides agreeing to maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges and institutional engagements, and to convene the next round of consultations in Islamabad on mutually agreed dates,鈥� the foreign ministry said. 

The UAE is Pakistan鈥檚 third-largest trading partner after China and the United States. More than 1.5 million Pakistanis live and work in the UAE, sending back over $5 billion in remittances annually.

Bilateral trade reached approximately $10.9 billion in fiscal year 2023鈥�24, including $2.08 billion in exports and $6.33 billion in imports, according to official Pakistani data.

Last year, the UAE pledged $10 billion in future investments in promising sectors of Pakistan鈥檚 economy.