{"id":87467,"date":"2026-10-02T11:38:01","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T11:38:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/?p=87467"},"modified":"2026-10-02T11:38:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T11:38:01","slug":"pakistan-uk-discuss-economic-reforms-trade-and-investment-cooperation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/2026\/10\/02\/pakistan-uk-discuss-economic-reforms-trade-and-investment-cooperation\/","title":{"rendered":"Pakistan, UK discuss economic reforms, trade and investment cooperation"},"content":{"rendered":"<h6 style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and British High Commissioner Jane Marriott review reform priorities, investment facilitation, PPPs and opportunities for greater UK business engagement<\/em><\/h6>\n<figure id=\"attachment_87452\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-87452\" style=\"width: 150px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-87452 size-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/53a09733-b375-43f6-b431-e7bd32c3efbc-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-87452\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Muhaammad Jahanzeb Abbas &#8211; Diplomatic Correspondent<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>ISLAMABAD:<\/strong> Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb and British High Commissioner to Pakistan Ms. Jane Marriott CMG OBE discussed Pakistan\u2019s economic reform priorities and opportunities to further strengthen bilateral trade and investment cooperation between Pakistan and the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n<p>The meeting was attended by British Development Director Sam Waldock and Senior Economist Louie Dane.<\/p>\n<p>Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb welcomed the British High Commissioner and appreciated the United Kingdom\u2019s continued support for Pakistan\u2019s economic reform efforts through technical assistance, expertise and knowledge-sharing. He said the government was focused on moving from economic stabilisation towards sustainable, inclusive and responsible growth, with greater emphasis on productivity, investment, exports and employment.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Pakistan, UK discuss economic reforms, trade and investment cooperation\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/BO-EUrZu6IU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The British High Commissioner reaffirmed the UK\u2019s interest in supporting Pakistan\u2019s economic transformation through technical assistance aimed at strengthening institutional and policy frameworks for investment, trade and private-sector development.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>She also welcomed Pakistan\u2019s recent US$3 billion dual-tranche sovereign Eurobond issuance, highlighting its significance for international market access and investor engagement.<\/p>\n<p>The discussions emphasised the importance of aligning UK support with Pakistan\u2019s reform priorities and focusing on practical measures that can strengthen institutions and improve the business environment.<\/p>\n<p>Senator Aurangzeb outlined the government\u2019s six key economic priorities: bringing permanence to macroeconomic stability; moving from stabilisation towards sustainable, inclusive and responsible growth; maintaining momentum on structural reforms; shifting from aid towards trade and investment; expanding access to finance; and positioning Pakistan for the New Economy.<\/p>\n<p>The two sides reviewed reform priorities with particular emphasis on fiscal management, tax administration, digitalisation, expenditure efficiency, trade and investment promotion, public investment and public-private partnerships.<\/p>\n<p>The Finance Minister stressed the importance of effective coordination among institutions to ensure consistent implementation of reforms and create a more predictable environment for businesses and investors.<\/p>\n<p>The meeting also covered regulatory reforms and measures to improve the investment climate, including investor facilitation and aftercare, effective investment-promotion mechanisms and greater efficiency of key regulatory institutions.<\/p>\n<p>Senator Aurangzeb highlighted the government\u2019s ongoing efforts to improve the business environment and facilitate both domestic and foreign investment.<\/p>\n<p>The two sides also discussed public-private partnerships as a means of mobilising private capital for development projects. The Finance Minister emphasised the need for stronger project preparation, commercially viable structures and enhanced institutional capacity to support PPP transactions.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-87469\" src=\"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/HTnaR_cXAAADLUV.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"810\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/HTnaR_cXAAADLUV.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/HTnaR_cXAAADLUV-300x203.jpg 300w, https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/HTnaR_cXAAADLUV-1024x691.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/HTnaR_cXAAADLUV-768x518.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/HTnaR_cXAAADLUV-622x420.jpg 622w, https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/HTnaR_cXAAADLUV-150x101.jpg 150w, https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/HTnaR_cXAAADLUV-696x470.jpg 696w, https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/HTnaR_cXAAADLUV-1068x721.jpg 1068w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The British side expressed interest in supporting these efforts through relevant technical expertise, including at the provincial level.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The Finance Minister also highlighted progress in macroeconomic stability and capital-market development, as well as ongoing privatisation efforts, saying the reforms were intended to create greater space for domestic and international investment and move the economy towards investment-led and export-oriented growth.<\/p>\n<p>The meeting reviewed avenues for strengthening bilateral trade and investment and encouraging greater participation by UK businesses in Pakistan. Ms. Marriott highlighted the potential contribution of UK companies and diaspora networks to private-sector development, including support for the growth and internationalisation of small and medium-sized enterprises.<\/p>\n<p>Opportunities in the aviation sector were also discussed, including potential international financing and investment. The British side highlighted the potential role of international financing partners, while the Finance Minister noted that relevant technical and commercial considerations would guide the process.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-87470\" src=\"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/HTnaR_ZWgAEFIQ6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"734\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/HTnaR_ZWgAEFIQ6.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/HTnaR_ZWgAEFIQ6-300x184.jpg 300w, https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/HTnaR_ZWgAEFIQ6-1024x626.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/HTnaR_ZWgAEFIQ6-768x470.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/HTnaR_ZWgAEFIQ6-687x420.jpg 687w, https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/HTnaR_ZWgAEFIQ6-150x92.jpg 150w, https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/HTnaR_ZWgAEFIQ6-696x426.jpg 696w, https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/HTnaR_ZWgAEFIQ6-1068x653.jpg 1068w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Senator Aurangzeb also briefed the British side on Pakistan\u2019s external financing strategy, including efforts to strengthen access to international capital markets, improve the quality and sustainability of financing, reduce refinancing pressures and expand access to longer-term and competitive sources of capital.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to continued Pakistan-UK cooperation in economic reforms, institutional strengthening, trade and investment, with a shared focus on sustainable growth and expanding opportunities for private-sector engagement.<\/p>\n<p>Pakistan and the UK have maintained ongoing official engagement on economic reforms and bilateral cooperation, including recent discussions between Senator Aurangzeb and Ms. Marriott on Pakistan\u2019s reform agenda, macroeconomic outlook and avenues for strengthening economic ties.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and British High Commissioner Jane Marriott review reform priorities, investment facilitation, PPPs and opportunities for greater UK business engagement ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb and British High Commissioner to Pakistan Ms. Jane Marriott CMG OBE discussed Pakistan\u2019s economic reform priorities and opportunities to further strengthen bilateral [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":87468,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67,25,73],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-87467","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-diplomacy","category-economy","category-united-kingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87467"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87467\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87471,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87467\/revisions\/87471"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87468"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}