Pakistan, UK resolve to work closely with new government in India

Prime Minister David Cameron and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a joint statement on May 1 underscored the importance of “developing closer co-operation” with the new government that would be soon elected in India.

In a wide-ranging statement on developing bilateral relations, the two leaders laid out the blueprint for cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, culture and education, defence and security, and regional stability.

On his first official visit to the UK after assuming the reins of government in 2013, Mr. Sharif also met with Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and other senior ministers. He gave a keynote speech at the Pakistan Investment Centre.

Mr. Cameron and Mr. Sharif committed to the opening of a new British Deputy High Commission in Lahore.

A calendar of educational engagement for the next three years includes a commitment from the British Council to train one million teachers of English over the next five years in Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces to upgrade English language teaching in Pakistan.

UK aid, through the Department for International Development will support the delivery of primary and secondary education to help realize Mr. Sharif’s commitment to spend 4 per cent of Pakistan’s GDP on education.

The two sides agreed to increase bilateral trade to £3 million by 2015, and in this regard welcoming the announcement by the UK company Asian Precious Metals of a new £ 100 million project in Pakistan.

On security and defence, the two governments will work towards countering the shared threats of terrorism, organized crime and illegal migration. The UK promised support for Pakistan’s new National Internal Security Policy.

Pakistan also endorsed the Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, a campaign launched by Foreign Secretary William Hague in 2013. He is to co-host, along with the Special Envoy of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Angelina Jolie, a Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict on 10—13 June 2014 in London.