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KARACHI, Jul 26 (APP):Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah held a meeting with the Ambassador of Zimbabwe to Pakistan Titus M.J. Abu Basutuc at the CM to discuss avenues of mutual cooperation and enhancement of bilateral relations.
The meeting was attended by Secretary to CM Abdul Raheem Shaikh, Honorary Consul General of Zimbabwe in Karachi Syed Mazhar Nasir, Deputy Head of Mission Mr. Webster and Pakistan-Zimbabwe Business Council representative Syed Azhar Ali.
The meeting focused on enhancing bilateral relations and exploring areas of mutual interest, especially in the fields of trade, education, information technology, tourism, agriculture, and industrial development.
The Zimbabwean ambassador acknowledged Pakistan Air Force’s role in the training of Zimbabwe’s Air Force personnel.
CM Murad Ali Shah emphasised that direct air connectivity between Karachi and Zimbabwe would significantly boost trade and people-to-people contact. He highlighted that textile and pharmaceutical products are currently being exported from Pakistan to Zimbabwe, but there is immense potential to expand this scope.
“There has been no substantial trade between Pakistan and Zimbabwe since 1995,” the Chief Minister noted, adding that collaboration in education, IT, value-added textile, and food export sectors can revitalise economic ties.
Shah also stressed the potential for cooperation in tourism and agricultural development, stating that Sindh and Zimbabwe share complementarities that can be tapped into for mutual benefit.
Murad Shah proposed hosting a Pakistan-Zimbabwe Investment Conference, which could be conducted via video link, to bring together stakeholders from both sides to explore opportunities in trade, tourism, and cultural exchange.
The Chief Minister directed the Sindh Investment Department and the Departments of Culture and Tourism to initiate formal coordination with the Zimbabwean Embassy to plan the event and define priority sectors for collaboration.
Ambassador Abu Basutu expressed Zimbabwe’s keen interest in working with Sindh on agriculture and tourism, and proposed expanding cooperation in education and IT. He noted that Zimbabwean tea could be an export item of interest for the Pakistani market.
It was agreed that both sides would jointly identify sectors for trade and investment cooperation. Provincial ministers and Zimbabwean embassy officials are also expected to submit their recommendations during the upcoming virtual conference.