Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended an invitation to Norwegian firms to invest in Pakistan’s oil and gas exploration sector during a meeting with Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide at the Prime Minister House in Islamabad on Thursday. He emphasized the need to strengthen economic cooperation and boost bilateral trade between the two nations.
Welcoming Minister Eide, who is on a two-day visit to Pakistan, Shehbaz expressed satisfaction with the warm and friendly relations shared by Pakistan and Norway, appreciating Oslo’s ongoing bilateral cooperation. The prime minister highlighted Norway’s contributions in areas such as education, skilled labor, climate resilience, and technology, underlining Pakistan’s appreciation for this partnership.
In a significant development, Shehbaz stressed Pakistan’s eagerness to expand trade ties with Norway and encouraged Norwegian companies to explore investment opportunities in the country’s oil and gas sector. The discussions also covered regional and global issues, with the prime minister acknowledging Norway’s firm and principled support for Palestine and thanking Oslo for its consistent backing of Pakistan’s efforts to foster regional peace, especially in the Gulf region.
Foreign Minister Eide conveyed warm regards from Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and praised Pakistan’s important role in regional peace initiatives. He reaffirmed Norway’s desire to deepen bilateral relations across multiple sectors and commended the positive impact of the Pakistani diaspora in Norway.
Both leaders emphasized the importance of broadening bilateral engagement beyond current cooperation, particularly through increased trade, investment, and people-to-people connections. Eide’s visit marks the first by a Norwegian foreign minister to Pakistan in ten years and aims to inject new momentum into economic, diplomatic, climate, and security collaboration.
Earlier on Thursday, Eide held delegation-level discussions with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, focusing on trade, investment, climate change, maritime affairs, education, and regional developments. The Norwegian foreign minister also praised Pakistan’s constructive role during the recent US-Iran conflict and recognized the country’s leadership in promoting regional stability.
Later, Eide met with Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir at the GHQ, where they discussed regional security, bilateral relations, and mutual interests. The Norwegian minister acknowledged the professionalism of the Pakistan Armed Forces in fostering regional peace and stability, with both sides pledging to enhance cooperation in defense and security.
During his meeting with the prime minister, Shehbaz extended a formal invitation to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre for an official visit to Pakistan. The meeting was attended by senior federal ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik, Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Chaudhry Salik Hussain, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi, and other high-ranking officials.
