Islamabad: Senator Sherry Rehman, Parliamentary Leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the Senate and Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change, chaired a meeting with a visiting European Union Parliamentary Delegation from the Committee on Development (DEVE) at the Parliament House.
The delegation was led by MEP Lukas Mandl (EPP, Austria), along with Robert Biedron (Vice Chair, DEVE) and other senior Members of the European Parliament.
Senator Rehman welcomed the delegation and emphasized that parliament-to-parliament diplomacy is vital for developing shared responses to global challenges, particularly in development cooperation, climate resilience, trade, public health, displacement, and humanitarian crises.
'We appreciate and recognize that parliamentary dialogue is crucial for shaping joint agendas. We have worked extensively with European colleagues in global climate processes and multilateral platforms, and we value the EU's continued engagement. Multilateralism is under strain worldwide, but for developing countries like Pakistan, it remains indispensable,' said Senator Rehman.
On economic cooperation, she underscored the importance of the EU's support for the continuation and expansion of GSP+, highlighting that Pakistan's exports to the EU stand at $9 billion within a $12 billion trade volume, making the EU Pakistan's second-largest trading partner, accounting for 12.4% of total trade in 2024.
'Trade uplifts societies and creates the jobs we need. We look forward to expanded cooperation, including through the EU Global Gateway Initiative and the upcoming EU-Pakistan Business Forum,' she added.
MEP Lukas Mandl, Chair of the Delegation, expressed appreciation for Pakistan's warm welcome and stressed the importance of direct engagement between elected representatives:
'Parliamentarians must speak to parliamentarians. This visit reflects the importance the European Parliament attaches to its relationship with Pakistan. We are here to understand priorities, challenges, and possibilities for strengthened cooperation.'
Robert Biedron, Vice Chair of DEVE, acknowledged Pakistan's efforts in climate negotiations and adaptation planning, noting:
'We recognize Pakistan's role in global climate discussions and the significant pressure the country faces from climate change. Issues such as water management, hydropower development, and halting deforestation are critical.'
In response to the delegation's questions, Senator Rehman highlighted the scale of climate impacts on Pakistan:
'In 2022, one-third of Pakistan was under water. Even this year, 6.5 million people have been directly impacted by flooding triggered by climate change. Communities lose lives, livelihoods, livestock, land, and the ability to regenerate soils. This deepens poverty and erodes human resilience. Pakistan contributes less than 1% of global emissions, yet we are on the frontlines of the climate crisis.'
On social protection and women's empowerment, she added:
'The Benazir Income Support Programme directly empowers women at the household level and is recognized globally by the World Bank as a best-practice model. Women's economic inclusion is essential for real development.'
Senator Rehman also discussed population growth as a compounding challenge amid climate stress, food insecurity, and limited adaptive capacity:
'This is a ticking time bomb. Climate migration is reshaping our cities, and we are seeing informal settlements grow without the resources to provide municipal support.'
Both sides acknowledged that climate change, economic resilience, and human development are deeply interconnected challenges requiring sustained partnership. They agreed to continue structured bilateral engagement, expand development cooperation, and strengthen parliamentary exchanges in the future.
Other senior members of the European Parliament present included Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar (SandD, Spain), Reinhold Lopatka (EPP, Austria), Andris Peterson (EPP Group Advisor), Christian Meseth (Committee Secretariat, Administrator), Janetta Cujkova (Committee Secretariat, Assistant), Raimundas Karoblis (Ambassador to Pakistan, EUD), Jeroen Willems (Head of Co-operation, EUD), Sebastien Lorion (Team Lead Governance and Human Capital, EUD), and Brekhna Ajmal (Programme Manager Parliaments and Gender Equality, EUD).