Pakistan PM Meets Finnish President at COP31, Calls for Stronger Bilateral Cooperation

Pakistan's Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has met Finnish President Alexander Stubb on the sidelines of the 31st session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye.

During the meeting, the two leaders reviewed bilateral relations between Pakistan and Finland and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in several areas of mutual interest.

Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to transforming the longstanding friendly relationship between the two countries into a strong, forward-looking partnership. Key areas of cooperation include trade and investment, education, skills development, technology, climate change resilience and people-to-people relations.

The Pakistani prime minister welcomed the presence of Finnish companies, including Nokia, Wärtsilä, Mitsui and Vaisala, in Pakistan. He highlighted the significant potential for expanding bilateral trade and emphasized the importance of strengthening business-to-business connections, technology transfer, telecommunications, innovative manufacturing and environmentally friendly technologies.

He also encouraged Finnish investment in Pakistan's mining sector.

Climate change, natural disaster risk reduction and environmental cooperation were also discussed during the meeting. Shehbaz Sharif expressed interest in benefiting from Finland's technical expertise in flood forecasting, water resource management, climate-resilient agriculture, glacier monitoring and early warning systems.

The two leaders also exchanged views on ongoing diplomatic efforts to achieve peaceful and sustainable solutions to conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia. They emphasized the importance of dialogue, mediation and peaceful conflict resolution.

President Alexander Stubb praised Pakistan's role in facilitating negotiations and mediation between Iran and the United States.

Both leaders agreed on the need to take further practical steps to maintain the momentum of bilateral relations and deepen cooperation between the two countries.

At the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also invited President Alexander Stubb to pay an official visit to Pakistan at a mutually convenient time.