Delegation leaves for Italy to promote trade

Aims to bolster Italian investment in country from current $100m

LAHORE: A 12-member delegation of leading exporters and importers on Saturday left for Italy to promote trade links via mutual collaboration between Pakistani and Italian business community through business-to-business (B2B) meetings.



Headed by Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) Chief Executive Mian Muhammad Kashif Ashfaq, the delegation will have a country presentation followed by B2B meetings at Associazione Italiana d’Ingegneria Economica (AICE) in Milan and Cassa Padana Brescia.

The frequency of visits between the two countries has witnessed a rise in recent years which is indicative of further deepening of ties between the two countries. Prior to leaving for Italy, Ashfaq told reporters that Pakistan and Italy had good relationship in a variety of fields and it was now time to further strengthen it.

He said the delegation would meet the Italian minister for economic development, officials of government agencies, leading companies and foreign trade agencies to explore new avenues of mutual co-operation in trade and commerce.



Ashfaq said Italy was the fourth largest investor in Pakistan following China, UAE and Hong Kong with a total investment valuing at $100 million along with bilateral trade worth one billion euros.

To a question he said, “Our focus is on energy, infrastructure, automobiles, agro food, pharmaceuticals, marble, stones, furniture and textiles.We want to diversify our exports and find new partners for doing business. “

He concluded that Italian technology could help us upgrade our textile sector and utilise its untapped capacity.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 9^th, 2016.

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