LAHORE, Mar 19 (APP):A high-level trade delegation of Pakistan Tuesday left for Kyrgyzstan to foster close collaboration with private sector for boosting bilateral trade and exports between two countries.
Talking to media prior to departure, the delegation head Meher Kashif Younis underscored the importance of prioritizing trade, economic relations and investment for mutual benefits of either sides.
He stressed the need of exploiting the untapped potential of trade, adding that both the countries should make good use of the CPEC for attaining better connectivity to deeply explore each other markets.
Meher Kashif, who is also an honorary Consul of Kyrgyzstan, said that the delegation would meet Kyrgyz private sector and hold a series of mutually beneficial talks in various sectors including agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and textiles
“Joint business forums have been instrumental in strengthening collaborations, and we plan for more forums in the upcoming year to facilitate the participation of major companies, he said and asserted that Kyrgyzstan would provide comprehensive information on sectors like energy, agriculture and food production to the delegation for further bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
He mentioned that Kyrgyz Ambassador Ulanbek Totuiaev facilitated the delegation for arranging meetings with Kyrgyz businessmen and investors.
Meher Kashif highlighted the significance of the quadrilateral trade transit agreement among Pakistan, China, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. He commended initiatives such as the NLC operated route through Karakoram, reducing transit time significantly.
Moreover, he mentioned the ongoing establishment of railway connections between China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, welcoming Pakistan’s involvement through Afghanistan in this project.He 12,000 Pakistani students are pursuing higher education in Kyrgyzstan, contributing positively to cultural exchanges between the both countries.
Pakistan’s total exports to Kyrgyz was US $ 2.6 million in 2021 which swelled to US $ 9.9m in 2022-23 while Pak imports from Kyrgyzstan is quite negligible.
