ISLAMABAD - President Asif Ali Zardari has stressed that the Pak-UK strategic dialogue encompassing important aspects of the relations was a significant step and was vital for Pakistan. He was talking to Andrew Mitchell, British Secretary of State for International Development at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Tuesday. Senator Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Minister for Finance, Salman Faruqui, Secretary General to the President, Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Senator Syeda Sughra Imam, Ms Farahnaz Ispahani, MNA, Salman Bashir, Foreign Secretary, Abdul Wajid Rana, Secretary Economic Affairs Division and Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar were also present during the meeting. British Secretary of State was accompanied by Adam Thomson, British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Moazzam Malik, DFID Director for Western Asia and Stabilisation Unit, George Turkington, Head DFID Pakistan and Richard Parr, Special Adviser to Secretary of State. Pak-UK bilateral relations, strategic dialogue, regional situation, trade access to EU markets for Pakistani goods, collaboration between the two countries in the fields of trade & investment and education came under discussion during the meeting. The President said that the Pak-UK strategic dialogue encompassing important aspects of our relations was a significant step and was vital for Pakistan. He stressed the need that the two sides should step up efforts to achieve the real objectives of Enhanced Strategic Dialogue ,adding, that the mechanism would lead to creating a better understanding in bringing about clarity on issues of global, regional peace and security. Pakistan wants to have an indepth engagement with the UK on various issues, based on sovereign equality, mutual trust and respect and mutual interest, Zardari added. The President emphasised access to markets saying that Pakistan looked for trade instead of aid. He welcomed British assistance in education sector and the role and contribution of DFID (Department for International Development) in this regard through various initiatives like the proposed Education Fund for Sindh and its close association with the Pakistan Education Task Force. Zardari said that he particularly welcomed the enhanced British assistance in Pakistans education sector and described it as crucial for neutralising militant mindset and for social and human uplift. He said that the Government and the people of Pakistan appreciate British acknowledgement of Pak counter-terrorism efforts and its contributions through funding and capacity building.