Foreign policy of Pakistan

Pakistan is the second largest Muslim-majority country in terms of population (after Indonesia) and its status as a declared nuclear power, being the only Islamic nation to have that status, plays a part in its international role.

Pakistan has a fiercely independent foreign policy, especially when it comes to issues such as development of nuclear weapons, construction of nuclear reactors, foreign military purchases and other issues that are vital to its national interests. On the other hand, Pakistan's economy is rather integrated into the world with strong ties to the EU and economic aliances and agreements with many other Asian nations. Pakistan has a strategic geo-political location at the corridor of world major maritime oil supply lines, and has close proximity to the resource and oil rich central Asian countries. Pakistan is an important member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), is ranked by the US as a major non-NATO ally in the war against terrorism, and has a highly disciplined and professional military.

The foreign policy of Pakistan sets out in the way it interacts with foreign nations and to determine its standard of interactions for its organizations, corporations and individual citizens. Backed by the semi-agricultural and semi-industrialized economy, Pakistan is the 42th largest (nominal GDP) and 25th largest (purchasing power) economic power in the world, with a defence budget of $6.98 billion, which accounts for approximately ~0.37% of global military spending. The Foreign Minister of Pakistan is the official charged with state-to-state diplomacy, although the Prime minister maintains an ultimate authority over foreign policy. The state foreign policy includes defining the national interest, as well as the economic interest and strategies chosen both to safeguard that and to achieve its policy goals. Following the general election held on May 2013, Tariq Fatimi and NSA Sartaj Aziz are designated as advisers to the Prime Minister on foreign and strategic policies.

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