Pakistan, Portugal Step Up Cooperation on Youth Employment and Labour Mobility
Pakistan and Portugal have agreed to strengthen cooperation on youth employment, overseas labour mobility, skills development, and trade, with a shared emphasis on creating safe, legal, and sustainable opportunities for young people. The understanding emerged during a high-level meeting between Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, and Manuel Frederico Pinheiro da Silva, Ambassador of Portugal to Pakistan, held at the Portuguese Embassy in Islamabad.
Discussions focused on enhancing bilateral collaboration in productive employment and structured labour mobility frameworks to empower youth. Both sides exchanged views on facilitating mutually beneficial employment pathways, skills recognition, and workforce development initiatives aligned with evolving market demands.
Chairman Rana Mashhood highlighted the Government of Pakistan’s commitment to deepening ties with Portugal, both bilaterally and within the broader European Union context. The two sides also reaffirmed their intention to cooperate at multilateral forums in support of peace, prosperity, and stability.
The meeting recalled the long-standing friendship between Pakistan and Portugal, noting that diplomatic relations were established more than 75 years ago. Both sides expressed satisfaction with the steady progress in bilateral engagement and agreed to expand cooperation across additional sectors.
On trade and investment, participants noted that bilateral trade reached 221 million US dollars in 2024, reflecting a positive trend while acknowledging considerable untapped potential. Particular emphasis was placed on cooperation in the information technology sector, where partnerships between Pakistani and Portuguese firms could generate mutual benefits. Pakistan highlighted its large youth population and growing pool of skilled IT professionals, including strong participation by women.
Labour mobility and human resource development were identified as priority areas. Chairman Rana Mashhood underlined Pakistan’s extensive base of skilled and semi-skilled workers and emphasized the importance of concluding a Labour Mobility Partnership Agreement to provide a legal and institutional framework for cooperation. Reference was made to a draft agreement shared with Portugal in 2022, with hopes expressed for progress on the proposal.
The Chairman also briefed the Ambassador on major initiatives under the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, including skills development, digital inclusion, entrepreneurship support, volunteerism, and green initiatives. He highlighted the National Employment Policy, which aims to create sustainable jobs, empower youth and women, and better align skills with market needs, with a target of increasing female labour force participation to 35 percent.
Overseas employment was discussed as an important avenue for Pakistani youth to gain international exposure, higher incomes, and advanced skills. Both sides explored ways to promote safe and legal overseas employment while ensuring the protection of workers’ rights and welfare.
The meeting also acknowledged the growing Pakistani community in Portugal as an important bridge for people-to-people ties. According to official Portuguese data, more than 54,000 Pakistani nationals or persons of Pakistani origin currently reside in the country.
Both sides concluded by reaffirming their commitment to further strengthen Pakistan–Portugal relations and deepen youth-centered cooperation to unlock new opportunities for collaboration in the coming years.
Read in Urdu: پاکستان اور پرتگال کا نوجوانوں کے روزگار اور لیبر موبیلٹی میں تعاون بڑھانے پر اتفاق
