KARACHI, April 17: Pakistan enjoys cordial relations with the European Union which is the world's biggest trader accounting for 25 per cent of the international trade.

This was stated by Dr Zafar Iqbal, director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad, while speaking at the inaugural session of a seminar on Pakistan-EU relations at the Goethe Institut.

The day-long moot was organised by the Area Study Centre for Europe, University of Karachi, in collaboration with the Hanns Seidel Foundation, Islamabad.

Dr Iqbal pointed out that the EU was Pakistan's largest trading partner with overall trade volume worth over $9 billion annually. However, Pakistan is only the 43rd trading partner of the EU accounting for this bloc's 0.3 per cent of imports and exports, he added.

Dr Iqbal said that steps were being taken to enhance Pakistan's trade volume with the EU. He stated that Pakistan's exports to the EU consist mainly of textiles and clothing that account for over 70 per cent of our country's exports whereas EU's exports to Pakistan consist mainly of machinery and chemicals.

Referring to the Kashmir issue, he said that the EU recognised it as an international problem and laid emphasis on bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan for its resolution. The German consul-general in Karachi, Hans-Joachim Kiderlen, said that the EU was willing to extend assistance towards the resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

However, he believed that India and Pakistan should play an active role towards the resolution of this dispute. He also praised Pakistan's role in the war against terrorism.

Former federal minister Javed Jabbar also expressed his views. ASCE Director Prof Dr Naveed Ahmad Tahir and resident representative of Hanns Seidel Foundation, Islamabad, Richard Asbeck, presented the welcome address.—APP