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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Bosnia have inked two accords of cooperation including an agreement on the readmission of illegal Pakistani migrants and a Memorandum of Understanding on scientific cooperation.
Under the agreement, a large number of illegal migrants from Pakistanis currently in Bosnia & Herzegovina through the readmission process will be returned and accepted by their country of origin. Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chairman of Presidency of Bosnia & Herzegovina Sefik Dzaferovic witnessed the signing ceremony in Islamabad.
The agreement between Pakistan and Council of Minister of Bosnia & Herzegovina on streamlining the protocols of readmission of illegal Pakistanis was signed by Interior Minister Ijaz Ahmed Shah and Bosnian Minister for Security Selmo Cikotic.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Ministry of Science and Technology and Council of Ministers of Bosnia & Herzegovina in the field of scientific cooperation was inked by Federal Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain and Bosnian Minister for Security Selmo Cikotic.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has been facing a migrant crisis as it has become an important route for illegal migration towards Europe. Bosnian claims that nearly 23 percent of the illegal migrants are from Pakistan estimated to be around 3,000.
Bosnia and Herzegovina pushed to deport illegal migrants earlier in April this year. The agreement provides the legal basis for repatriation of illegal migrants from Pakistan, who would be returned to their homeland and Pakistani authorities would be obliged to accept them.
The two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding on scientific and technological cooperation. During their talks, both sides agreed on deepening their cooperation in the economic, trade and investment, science and technology, defence industry, educational and cultural sectors.
Pakistan also offered Bosnia & Herzegovina training courses for its young diplomats at the Foreign Service Academy in Islamabad. The offer came as Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia & Herzegovina Sefik Dzaferovic.
The foreign minister expressed confidence that the cooperation at diplomatic level could strengthen relations between the two countries. The Foreign Service Academy, the training arm of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, provides training to diplomats from friendly countries along with its own career diplomats.
The meeting also agreed that a vast potential existed to enhance cooperation, especially in fields of trade and investment, energy, science and technology, defence industry, education, and people-to-people exchanges.
