The European Union Council of Foreign Ministers discussed in Luxembourg the situation in Pakistan and welcomed the "recent progress made in the democratic process", while reiterating the need for the country to continue having a composite dialogue with India.
The Council, in a statement issued on Tuesday, expressed the EU's wish to strengthen EU-Pakistan relations further, in full respect of the international law and UN Security Council resolutions.
"Particular focus will be given to economic development and trade, counter-terrorism, non-proliferation, human rights, migration, education, inter-cultural issues and regional cooperation as well as issues of wider international importance,'' it noted.
The Council reaffirmed its support for broad and substantial cooperation between Pakistan and its neighbours and said it fully endorses initiatives aimed at fostering better crossborder ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The Council also reiterated its support for the continuation of the composite dialogue between Pakistan and India.
The EU will continue to explore ways to enhance trade with Pakistan and trade within South Asia, said the statement.
The EU underlined its commitment to work together with Pakistan on non-proliferation and disarmament of weapons of mass destruction in international forums.
{{/usCountry}}The EU underlined its commitment to work together with Pakistan on non-proliferation and disarmament of weapons of mass destruction in international forums.
{{/usCountry}}"Support from Pakistan for the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva to begin negotiations on a fissile material cut-off treaty (FMCT) would be a strong signal in that respect."
Further, the Council stressed the importance of Pakistan's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in order to have more information on outstanding issues related to the Iranian nuclear programme.