Parliamentary Diplomacy at the Forefront of Pakistan–Romania Relations
Islamabad : – A meeting of the Pakistan–Romania Parliamentary Friendship Group was held at Parliament House under the convenorship of Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro. The meeting was attended by H.E. Dr. Dan Stoenescu, Ambassador of Romania, along with senior Romanian officials and Members of the Senate, including Senators Rahat Jamali, Agha Shahzaib Durrani, Rana Mahmood ul Hassan, and Advisor to the Chairman Senate, Ms. Misbah Khar.
Opening the discussion, Senator Ghumro highlighted the longstanding ties between Pakistan and Romania and emphasized the potential for expanded cooperation across multiple sectors. He noted the importance of strengthening bilateral engagement through regular parliamentary exchanges, educational partnerships, and collaboration in fields such as climate, technology, renewable energy, and defense. He welcomed Romania’s presence at NUML University and proposed expanding such programs to other provinces.
Ambassador Stoenescu affirmed that parliamentary diplomacy remains central to bilateral engagement. He expressed Romania’s keen interest in advancing cooperation in trade, IT, manufacturing, defense, and cyber security. Highlighting Romania’s position within the EU market, he noted that Pakistan can benefit significantly from enhanced trade and technological collaboration under the GSP framework. He also underlined the importance of joint training in policing, narcotics control, and cyber security.
In the context of education and labor mobility, both sides expressed strong interest in deepening ties. The Romanian delegation acknowledged recent improvements in Pakistan’s visa processes and appreciated efforts by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They called for greater facilitation in direct labor migration and expressed concern over third-party recruitment, urging the establishment of structured mechanisms to protect workers and ensure fair employment.
Moreover, Senator Agha Shahzaib Durrani underscored Romania’s strategic location as a gateway to Europe and stressed the need for cooperation in agriculture, energy, agritech, and pharmaceuticals. He proposed signing agreements on double taxation avoidance and bilateral investment to boost private-sector collaboration. He also recommended academic and military training MoUs and suggested marking 60 years of diplomatic relations through high-level parliamentary visits.
Ms. Misbah Khar emphasized the need for greater cultural understanding and proposed joint initiatives to improve public awareness of Romania in Pakistan. She highlighted the role of media and cultural programming in bridging perception gaps and fostering people-to-people ties. Ambassador Stoenescu, while acknowledging this, expressed Romania’s efforts to increase its visibility on Pakistani media platforms. He also confirmed that academic and Urdu language exchanges are part of existing agreements and could be further expanded.
Following the meeting, Senator Rana Mahmood ul Hassan hosted a luncheon in honor of the Romanian delegation, which was also graced by the presence of Chairman Senate, Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to advancing cooperation in areas of mutual interest, strengthening parliamentary ties, and exploring new avenues for collaboration in labor mobility, investment, culture, and education.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
