Islamabad:President Asif Ali Zardari has called for further strengthening ties between Pakistan and Germany, focusing on trade, investment, development cooperation, defence, skilled labour mobility, and business-to-business engagement.

According to Radio Pakistan, he conveyed these views during a meeting with Salman Sharif, the Ambassador-designate of Pakistan to Germany, in Islamabad. President Zardari emphasized the importance of the longstanding relationship with Germany and highlighted the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations as an opportunity to deepen bilateral cooperation.

The President underscored the need to boost bilateral trade and business ties, noting Germany's status as Pakistan's largest export destination within the European Union. Additionally, he advocated for continued defence cooperation and expressed the desire for early favorable consideration of Pakistan's pending requests in this domain.

President Zardari also recalled Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's invitation to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to visit Pakistan and expressed hopes that the visit would occur at a mutually convenient time. He congratulated Salman Sharif on his new role and voiced confidence in his ability to further strengthen the relations between Pakistan and Germany.