NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar discussed on Thursday bilateral cooperation at the NATO headquarters in Brussels.
The two sides reviewed the status of bilateral cooperation and discussed common interest issues such as peace and security, terrorism, climate change and regional and global developments, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on the US social media company X.
Rutte appreciated Pakistan’s "contributions to regional peace and stability," and recognized Pakistan’s counter terrorism efforts, the ministry said.
Dar, who is also the deputy prime minister, stressed Islamabad's "desire and efforts for a peaceful, and stable South Asia," and underlined "the importance of constructive dialogue and cooperation."
He also reaffirmed Pakistan’s "unwavering commitment to combating terrorism."
Dar said "the threat of terrorism that Pakistan continues to encounter is primarily supported and perpetrated from beyond its borders," and that Islamabad is "actively implementing measures to counter these threats."
Pakistan saw a 46% surge in "overall violence in its security landscape" in the third quarter of 2025, compared to the previous quarter, according to the Center for Research and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based think tank.
Both sides "further reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing mutually beneficial engagement between Pakistan and NATO, agreed to continue working closely together to address common challenges and further strengthen their partnership for the promotion of peace and security in the region and beyond."
"European and South Asian security are intertwined, and close cooperation is essential for promoting stability and prosperity," Rutte said on X after the meeting.
Separately, Dar held a meeting with EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Sikela, during which "the importance of enhancing mutually beneficial collaboration between Pakistan and the EU across all areas of shared interest," was discussed.
The last time a Pakistani foreign minister met the NATO chief was in 2021, when then foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, met Jens Stoltenberg at the NATO headquarters.
Dar arrived in Brussels on a three-day visit on Wednesday to co-chair the 7th session of Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue.
