The fifth Round of Bilateral Political Consultations between Pakistan and Bulgaria was held in Sofia on Tuesday.

The Pakistani side was led by Additional Foreign Secretary (Europe) Muhammad Saleem while the Bulgarian delegation was headed by Director General (Bilateral Relations), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria Petar Kraytchev.

The two sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and discussed ways and means to further enhance them in diverse fields.

They reiterated mutual resolve to cement relations in the fields of political, economic, trade, investment, higher education, agriculture, Information and Communications Technology and people-to-people contacts.

The two sides agreed on the importance of early convening of next session of the Pakistan-Bulgaria Intergovernmental Commission, and active linkages between the private sectors of the two countries. Possibilities to enhance Pakistani workforce to address the existing labor shortage in Bulgaria were also discussed.

Pakistani delegation thanked Bulgaria for playing a supportive role in Pakistan's active engagement with the EU, especially in context of GSP+ status.

Regional and global issues of mutual interest were also discussed including peace and security, counter-terrorism and climate change. The two sides also underscored their keen interest in maintaining close cooperation at the multilateral platforms, especially the UN.