Chief Minister Punjab is eyeing sister city relations between Lahore and Barcelona.
LAHORE – The Punjab government is exploring a possible sister city partnership between Lahore and Barcelona as part of wider efforts to deepen ties with Spain.
On this proposal, plans for strong cooperation in trade, business, culture, sports and urban development were discussed in a meeting between Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Spanish Ambassador Carlos Aragon Gil de la Serna.
Spanish Ambassador Carlos Argon Gil de la Serna met with Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
In the meeting, the possibilities of business, trade, cultural and environmental cooperation between Punjab and Spain were reviewed.
Punjab Spain Business Council, declaring Lahore and Barcelona as sister cities, climate challenges… pic.twitter.com/z9BDZgWMfi— Govt of Punjab (@GovtofPunjabPK) October 3, 2026
According to the Associated Press of Pakistan, trade, business, culture, sports, climate challenges and urban development took center stage at the high-level meeting in Lahore on Saturday.
One of the main proposals discussed was the possibility of declaring Lahore and Barcelona sister cities, which would potentially create a new framework for cooperation between the two major cities. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz expressed interest in Barcelona’s experience in urban planning, especially in developing more people-friendly roads and public spaces.
This proposal will add another sister city relationship to Lahore for Spain. According to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lahore and Cordoba have maintained sister city relations since 1968, with Cordoba having a street named after Pakistan’s national poet Allama Iqbal and a roundabout named after Lahore.
Discussions with Spain’s La Liga have also brought football into the limelight with a proposal to set up a pilot football academy in Lahore. The proposed academy will focus on the training and development of football coaches and players, potentially providing access to Spanish expertise and training methods to Punjab’s football ecosystem.
Trade and investment was another major focus of the meeting, with the two sides considering the establishment of a Punjab-Spain Business Council to strengthen trade ties and business-to-business links.
The proposal comes in the backdrop of considerable current economic ties. Pakistan’s foreign ministry puts bilateral trade with Spain at around $1.6 billion, with Pakistani exports at around $1.5 billion and imports at around $214.08 million. The ministry also identifies textiles, agro-food products, minerals and information technology services as sectors where Pakistan is looking to diversify and expand exports to Spain.
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Maryam Nawaz suggested setting up a joint working group to tackle challenges including forest fires, air pollution and heatwaves, while also expressing Punjab’s desire to benefit from Spain’s experience in dealing with climate change challenges and smog.
Cultural and artistic cooperation between Punjab and Spain was also discussed while Maryam Nawaz invited the Spanish ambassador and business delegations to visit Lahore and Sialkot. He said trade and cultural delegations from Spain would be welcomed in Punjab, according to the official account of the meeting.
Chief Minister Maryam also appreciated Spain’s decision to recognize the State of Palestine, paying tribute to the government of Spain for this initiative.
The Ambassador of Spain thanked the Chief Minister of Punjab for the reception and expressed his interest in further strengthening the cooperation between Spain and Punjab.
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