Mutual cooperation: Romanian envoy for enhanced bilateral trade

Says fast-changing global scenario demands enhanced economic activity

TAXILA: Romanian Ambassador Emilian Ion has urged Pakistani business community to evolve an effective and sector-specific strategy in collaboration with Romanian businessmen for increasing bilateral trade.

Talking to the media, after attending a function held under the aegis of Pakistan-Romania Friendship Association (PRFA) on Saturday, Ion said Pakistan’s economy was growing at a fast pace and so was the Romanian economy and both countries were exploring more avenues of cooperation in diversified fields.

He said Romania was the only European country which has four honorary consulates in different cities including Faisalabad as part of its close engagement with Pakistan.

“The fast-changing global scenario demands an enhanced economic activity and exchange of trade delegations and joint exhibitions,” he said. Ion stressed that Pakistan had great untapped potential which could be utilised by cementing relationship between business communities of both the countries. “There is a dire need for exploring the potential in trade and commerce at the bilateral level as well as the European Union level,” he said.

He said that Romanian investors were keen to join hands with their Pakistani counterparts and the two countries could enhance cooperation in the fields of agriculture, alternative energy sources, culture, and manufacturing and information technology.

“We believe that these collaborative efforts can help double the bilateral trade between Romania and Pakistan from present volume of $300 million within two years.”

He said that Pakistan was located at important geo-strategic location and with better investment and trade policies, it could be a favourite trade destination of Asia.

Ion said that Business Council Friends of Romania Group have been established in Pakistan to strengthen mutual economic ties.

Responding another question, he said that Romania was offering cheap but quality medical education with 70 per cent less tuition fees charged by medical colleges of the UK and the US and students from Europe including France and other countries were currently enrolled there. He said that aspirant Pakistani medical students could avail the opportunity of affordable medical education.

He said Taxila was a historical city and he always loved to visit the city in order to have first hand information about the city and its culture. The Romanian ambassador called upon the Pakistani authorities to highlight cultural importance of the city in Romania also through the Pakistan embassy in order to attract more and more tourists from Romania.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 1^st, 2016.