President Zardari to Visit Germany on Oct 22 — First Presidential Visit in 20 Years
President Asif Ali Zardari will undertake a four-day official visit to Germany next week at the invitation of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in what will be the first visit by any President of Pakistan to Germany in 20 years. The historic Zardari Germany visit begins on Thursday, October 22, when the president leaves for Berlin accompanied by a high-level delegation of the business community and senior government officials.
The announcement, reported by well-placed diplomatic sources to The News on Saturday evening, sets the stage for one of the most significant diplomatic engagements in Pakistan-Germany relations in recent memory. The Zardari Germany visit comes in a year when the two countries mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties.
A Historic First in Two Decades
The German president extended the invitation to President Zardari during diplomatic engagements marking the 75th anniversary of Pakistan-Germany relations, which took place earlier this month. No Pakistani head of state has visited Berlin in two decades, making this Asif Ali Zardari Berlin visit a landmark moment for the bilateral relationship.
The four-day itinerary is packed with high-level meetings. President Zardari will meet German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, hold talks with Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and sit down with leading trade and business figures of the host country. Pakistan’s newly designated ambassador to Germany, Salman Sharif, has already arrived in Berlin and will conduct the president’s visit, the sources said.
Preparations for the Zardari Germany visit have been underway for weeks. Earlier this month, German Ambassador to Pakistan Ina Lepel disclosed at a German Unity Day reception in Islamabad that President Zardari would “shortly visit Germany” at the invitation of President Steinmeier, saying the two presidents would discuss ways to enhance bilateral cooperation.
What Is on the Agenda in Berlin
According to the diplomatic sources, the talks during the Zardari Germany visit will cover a wide sweep of bilateral, regional and global issues. On the regional front, Pakistan will brief the German leadership on developments in South Asia, including India’s conduct with reference to the Kashmir dispute and the unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty — described by Islamabad as contrary to international law.
Pakistan is expected to highlight that India discarded the verdict of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague regarding the treaty, a point Islamabad has been pressing in international forums. The Middle East situation will also come up for discussion during the engagements.
Bilaterally, the visit builds on a series of recent high-level contacts. German Chancellor Merz and Foreign Minister Dr Johann Wadephul have publicly appreciated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar for Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to promote peace in the Gulf region, and that goodwill is expected to carry into the Berlin talks.
Trade, Investment and the Business Delegation
The presence of a top-tier business delegation underscores the economic focus of the trip. Germany is Pakistan’s largest export destination in the European Union, and President Zardari has repeatedly stressed the need to increase bilateral trade and business engagement. Earlier this month, the president told Salman Sharif, the ambassador-designate to Germany, that Pakistan attaches great importance to its longstanding relationship with Berlin and wants the 75th anniversary year to deepen cooperation.
During that meeting, Zardari called for continued defence cooperation, greater cooperation on skilled labour mobility, and early favourable consideration of Pakistan’s pending requests. He also recalled Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s invitation to Chancellor Merz to visit Pakistan, expressing the hope that it would take place at a mutually convenient date.
Recent discussions between Islamabad and Berlin have also covered expeditious finalisation of the Pakistan-Germany Climate Partnership Agreement, German investments in renewable energy, IT and industrial sectors, and the early establishment of a Pakistan-Germany Chamber of Commerce in Karachi — themes likely to feature in the delegation-level talks.
The 75th Anniversary Backdrop
The visit lands in a year of special symbolism. Diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Germany were established 75 years ago — German Ambassador Lepel marked the milestone at a Unity Day reception in Islamabad, noting that the friendship between the two nations even predates formal relations, pointing to the stay of Allama Muhammad Iqbal in Heidelberg, where he completed his doctoral thesis.
As the two countries celebrate three-quarters of a century of ties, the Zardari Germany visit offers both capitals a chance to convert ceremonial warmth into concrete outcomes — on trade, on technology, on skilled labour and on the regional issues where Islamabad wants Berlin’s ear. Pakistan’s presidency has confirmed no further schedule details yet, but diplomatic sources say a joint statement is expected at the conclusion of the Zardari Germany visit, capping the four-day stay.
Sources: The News (October 18, 2026) — President to visit Germany next week; The News (October 16, 2026) — Germany, Pakistan to build on 75 years of diplomatic ties: envoy. Featured photo: The News.
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