Polish firms keen to invest in Pakistan’s telecom sector

Ambassador sees great potential for enhancing bilateral trade

ISLAMABAD: Poland is interested in further enhancing bilateral trade with Pakistan as the two countries have good potential to trade many goods with each other, said Poland Ambassador to Pakistan Piotr A Opalinski.

Speaking to the business community during his visit to the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Opalinski said the bilateral trade volume between Poland and Pakistan had increased to over half a billion euros but there was a vast scope for further enhancing it.

He pointed out that around 90% of Pakistan’s exports to Poland comprised textile products and stressed that Pakistan should focus on diversification of exports in order to achieve better results.

He said both countries had good potential to cooperate in the IT sector as Polish companies wanted to contribute to the growth of 5G and telecom infrastructure in Pakistan.

The envoy said Poland was located in central Europe and could become a hub for Pakistan’s exports to the EU.

He also highlighted that Polish companies had been doing business in Pakistan’s oil and gas sector for the past 20 years and more could invest in the country.

Talking about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Opalinski said the project was a game changer for Pakistan and Polish companies had also been encouraged to pour money into the project.

He shared that Poland had created good conditions for foreign investors and a Pakistani businessman had opened the first Halal restaurant in the European country while more Pakistani investors could invest in the country.

He suggested that the Pakistani business community should develop contacts with the Polish Investment Agency and Polish National Chamber of Commerce to explore business opportunities in his country. Speaking on the occasion, ICCI President Muhammad Ahmed Waheed said there was a vast scope for bilateral cooperation between the two countries, which could be realised with more efforts by both sides.

He said both countries should encourage regular exchange of trade delegations to explore all untapped areas of mutual collaboration.

Waheed stressed that Polish investors should set up joint ventures in Pakistan in textile and other sectors.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 29^th, 2019.

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