BRUSSELS, Jan 16: The European Union is planning to hold regular political consultations with Pakistan in what diplomats say is another sign of the 15-nation bloc’s recognition of Islamabad’s bold and courageous anti-terrorist policies.

The new EU-Pakistan political dialogue will be at a higher level than the annual meetings of regional directors which marked earlier political contacts between the two sides. These links were put on ice following Pakistan’s military takeover in October 1999.

“Our decision to revive the political dialogue with Pakistan is a sign of our good intentions,” an EU diplomat told Dawn. Both sides also signed a cooperation treaty in November and the EU has promised up to 50 million dollars in development aid to Islamabad. A new package of EU textile concessions for Pakistani exporters has also been drawn up.

Islamabad has laid out the red carpet for several top-level EU delegations since last September. A formalized political dialogue, however, has the advantage of ensuring that relations between the two sides will remain on an even keel for years to come.

But despite Europe’s growing interest in Pakistan and a new determination to forge closer links with the country, the revived consultations with Islamabad are unlikely to be at the level of foreign ministers. Instead the dialogue could be upgraded to the level of foreign ministry director-generals.

“We are unlikely to proceed from the current situation where there is no formal political dialogue with Pakistan to regular formal meetings at foreign minister level in one step,” said an EU diplomat. “The dialogue will remain at the level of civil servants for the moment.”

The EU holds annual summits with Indian and Chinese heads of government as well as regular meetings with both countries’ foreign ministers.

While EU governments want to meet out quasi-equal political treatment to Pakistan and India, diplomats say there are obvious differences between the two countries: their size, population numbers and above all the fact that India is the world’s largest democracy and Pakistan remains under the military rule.

Still Pakistan’s star has never shone brighter in Europe. Governments across the bloc have lauded President Pervez Musharraf’s moves to curb extremism and “terrorist groups” operating in Kashmir and voiced a readiness to help the government’s plans for educational reform.