ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and New Zealand discussed boosting cooperation in various fields, with a special focus on agriculture and education, as the two sides held a Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meeting in Wellington, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Saturday.
The third Pakistan-New Zealand JTC meeting and the fifth round of Pakistan-New Zealand Political Consultations “marked a significant step in deepening bilateral engagement between the two countries”, the FO said.
A key outcome of the meetings was the signing of the Education Cooperation Arrangement between Pakistan and New Zealand.
At the JTC meeting, both sides “deliberated on improving market access and enhancing cooperation in sustainable agriculture, including exploring technical collaboration in wool production and plant protection”, the FO said.
The discussions focused on bolstering bilateral trade and investment, with particular emphasis on technology, education and services.
Institutional mechanisms to further economic cooperation were also discussed, the statement added.
Commerce Secretary Jawad Paul Khawaja represented Pakistan during the JTC meeting, while Grahame Morton, deputy secretary of the Americas and Asia Group at New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, headed the other delegation.
Meanwhile, during the political consultations, both sides conducted a comprehensive review of bilateral relations. They also exchanged views on regional and international developments.
Additional Foreign Secretary Ambassador Dr Syed Ali Asad Gillani co-chaired the Pakistani side, while Morton headed the New Zealand delegation.
Islamabad and Wellington “explored avenues to strengthen cooperation across a wide spectrum of areas, including high-level exchanges, economic development, science and technology, education, counterterrorism, transnational crime, and people-to-people ties”, the FO said.
Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2026