Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday hoped the E.U.-Pakistan Business Forum underway in Islamabad will encourage further enhancement of trade and investment ties between Islamabad and Brussels.
Welcoming the delegation—comprising senior E.U. officials and business representatives of prominent European companies—at Prime Minister’s House, Sharif thanked them for their participation in the Forum and noted the E.U. was Pakistan’s largest trading partner and the destination for the highest volume of its exports.
Hoping the Forum would boost trade and investment ties between Pakistan and the E.U., the prime minister assured the delegation the government would continue making serious efforts to facilitate this. He further assured the delegation the incumbent government is committed to continue working toward economic stabilization despite regional challenges, including the recent spike in oil prices due to the Middle East conflict. In this regard, he recalled recent telephone conversations with E.U. Council President Antonio Costa during which the two leaders discussed the regional security situation as well as ways to further strengthen Pakistan-E.U. relations.
Appreciating the prime minister’s leading role in peace efforts in the region, the visiting delegation expressed deep appreciation to the government for extending full cooperation in hosting the E.U.-Pakistan Business Forum. Members of the delegation recalled their respective experience of investments in Pakistan, stating there was enormous potential for further growth of these business-to-business ties in various sectors, including energy, communications, and I.T.
According to the statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, more than 600 business-to-business meetings are expected on the sidelines of the E.U.-Pakistan Business Forum.
Peteris Ustubs, Director (Asia Pacific) of the European Commission’s Directorate General of International Partnerships led the E.U. delegation. It comprised Thourya Triki of the E.U. Investment Bank and senior executives of top European companies, including Adidas Vice President Manuel Pauser; Andritz Vice President Karl Shloegelbauer; and IKEA Regional Director Dieter Metkke. Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan Raimundas Karoblis was also present.
From Pakistan, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar; Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan; Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar; Adviser to the P.M. Tauqir Shah; Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani; SAPMs Syed Tariq Fatemi and Haroon Akhtar Khan as well as senior government officials were also present in the meeting.