Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting on Sunday with Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, during which the minister briefed the PM on his recent visits to European countries and participation in key international conferences.
Mohsin Naqvi informed the prime minister about his attendance at a four-country Interior Ministers’ meeting held in Rome, Italy, which was also attended by the interior ministers of Italy, Spain, and Greece. He further briefed the prime minister on a six-country meeting in Poland, attended by ministers from Pakistan, Poland, Latvia, Finland, Estonia, and Lithuania.
According to the briefing, participating countries in both conferences agreed to expedite the issuance of legal work permits for Pakistani citizens. The member states appreciated Pakistan’s performance in reducing illegal migration to European countries by 47 percent within one year and acknowledged its measures to curb human smuggling.
The interior minister also informed that Poland and Italy will soon abolish visa requirements for holders of Pakistani diplomatic and official passports. He added that a comprehensive plan to further improve Pakistan’s immigration and border security capacity will soon be presented to the European Union.
The Prime Minister appreciated the efforts of the interior minister and emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation with European countries on immigration and security issues. Matters related to the country’s internal security and overall situation also came under discussion during the meeting.