Pakistan and Indonesia took major steps to strengthen their bilateral relationship, signing a comprehensive set of agreements covering trade, education, health, and governance. The signing ceremony was held at the Prime Minister’s House during Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s two-day state visit to Islamabad.
President Subianto and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif first held a private meeting, followed by delegation-level talks aimed at expanding cooperation across high-potential sectors. Senior ministers from both sides then exchanged documents for several pre-negotiated agreements and Memoranda of Understanding.
The new accords focus on enhancing collaboration in Halal trade, supporting small and medium enterprises, advancing higher education ties, strengthening anti-narcotics measures, and improving public health frameworks.
A particularly significant development was the signing of an agreement on mutual recognition of higher education degrees and certificates. The pact, concluded between Indonesia’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology and Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC), is expected to facilitate academic mobility, research collaboration, and qualification equivalence. The documents were exchanged by Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Education, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, and Indonesia’s Minister Brian Yuliarto.
In a further boost to educational cooperation, the two countries formalized a grant initiative titled “The Indonesian Aid Scholarships.” This agreement, exchanged by Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono and Education Minister Siddiqui, will expand scholarship opportunities for Pakistani students and strengthen people-to-people linkages.
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Officials from both nations described the agreements as a foundation for deeper strategic engagement, signalling renewed commitment to long-term partnership and regional cooperation.