Pakistan, UK army chiefs discuss regional security, defense cooperation in Rawalpindi

• Visit comes amid stepped-up military diplomacy between Pakistan and UK
• Both sides call for continued collaboration to support regional stability

KARACHI: Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, met the United Kingdom’s Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Charles Roland Vincent Walker, in Rawalpindi to discuss regional security and strengthening defense cooperation, the Pakistani military said on Thursday.

Pakistan and the UK share long-standing military ties, including collaboration in counterterrorism, joint training programs and professional military education. The two countries have engaged in a series of high-level military exchanges this year as part of efforts to deepen defense coordination.

Thursday’s meeting took place at Pakistan’s General Headquarters, where Walker was presented with a guard of honor on arrival, the military’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

“During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional security and measures to further enhance bilateral defense cooperation were discussed,” the ISPR said.

“Both sides reiterated the need for continued collaboration to ensure peace and stability in the region.”

Walker also praised the Pakistan Army’s role in counterterrorism and regional stability, ISPR added.

Munir had visited the UK in February to take part in a military-to-military dialogue and met Walker, UK Chief of Defense Staff Admiral Tony Radakin and National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell to discuss defense and security cooperation.

Pakistan’s Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, also held talks with senior British defense officials during a visit last year as part of ongoing strategic dialogue between the two sides.

Defense cooperation between Pakistan and the UK includes Pakistani officers receiving training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and the Royal College of Defense Studies, while Pakistan Army teams regularly participate in the UK’s Cambrian Patrol competition.