Baroness Warsi calls on Minister of State for Foreign Affairs

(2011-02-22)

Rt. Hon. Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Chairperson of the Conservative Party of the UK and Cabinet Minister, called on the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar this morning. She was accompanied by Mr. Damian Green, Minister for Immigration and the British High Commissioner to Pakistan.

The Minister of State reiterated the importance that Pakistan attached to its relationship with the UK. She said that the people of Pakistan were looking forward to the visit of Prime Minister David Cameron to Pakistan during the first half of the year. She expressed the hope that the Prime Minister’s visit would give a further boost to the strategic partnership.

The Minister of State briefed the delegation on the economic reform strategy of the Government, which included improvement in public expenditure management, domestic resources mobilization and attaining economic efficiency through devolution. She said that the Government was taking tough decisions that would accrue long-term relief to the public.

The Minister of State broached the issue of problems relating to the issuance of visa to Pakistan nationals. The British Minister for Immigration informed her that the system had been streamlined with visit visa being issued within 15 days and business visa within five days. The Minister of State also underlined the importance of revisiting the British travel advisory on Pakistan as part of promoting bilateral economic relations and people-to-people contacts.

Baroness Warsi reaffirmed that Britain attached immense importance to its strategic relations with Pakistan, adding that British-Pakistanis were a strong bridge between the two countries.

This is Baroness Warsi’s third visit to Pakistan in less than a year, and a manifestation of Britain’s Coalition Government’s commitment to strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries. During the visit, Baroness Warsi had also called on Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and discussed a whole range of issues of mutual interest.

Islamabad
22 February 2011

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