Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar reached the United Kingdom on Sunday, ahead of a four-day official visit beginning on Monday, the Foreign Office (FO) said.

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK Tipu Usman received him at London’s Heathrow airport, FO added.

Earlier, FO said that during the visit, DPM Dar will meet the UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Minister of State for Pakistan Stephen Doughty, as well as other senior members of the government.

“He will also meet with the secretary-general of the International Maritime Organisation to discuss the issue of Pakistani crew members held by Somali pirates aboard the MT Honour 25 oil tanker, in addition to a meeting with the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey,” FO said.

It added that Dar is also expected to meet British parliamentarians and representatives of the Pakistani diaspora in the UK.

The visit comes after the two countries agreed to intensify bilateral trade engagement and strengthen business-to-business cooperation in July. The two sides had explored upgrading an existing Trade Dialogue into a more structured economic and trade framework.

In June, Pakistan and the UK had agreed to enhance cooperation in counterterrorism, combating illegal migration and human smuggling, institutional collaboration and police training.

This understanding was reached as the Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met British Minister of State for the Middle East, South Asia and the UN Hamish Falconer.