LONDON, Feb 7: Senior defence officials of Pakistan and the United Kingdom will be meeting here this week to explore avenues for closer cooperation in the defence field, Dawn has learnt.

Officials from Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence Production and organizers of the Ideas 2006 defence exhibition will meet officials of the British defence ministry, UK Defence Exports Services Organization, Defence Manufacturers Association and representatives of the defence industry.

The meeting is aimed to “update and brief companies on the growing defence equipment relationship between Pakistan and the UK, to discuss export opportunities and to share experience of doing business in the market”.

When contacted, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr Maleeha Lodhi, said the high commission would also be participating in the meeting.

In response to a question about Pakistan’s defence purchases from the UK, she said at the moment there were no ‘big ticket’ items involved, other than an avionics package for JF-17.

Dr Lodhi said Islamabad would be looking forward to explore opportunities of exporting products manufactured in Pakistan.

Asked about the nature of cooperation, she said to the day it was “more training and less equipment”.

Dr Lodhi said Pakistan had effectively lobbied to get the de facto restrictions on defence imports from the UK lifted. Though there were no formal restrictions on defence trade, the restrictions were mostly in the form of ‘executive action’ on a case-by-case basis, Dr Lodhi said.