Nepalese envoy calls for direct flights with Pakistan

Emphasises direct flights will help promote two-way trade

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan and Nepal have great potential to enhance trade and economic cooperation, said Nepal Ambassador Tapas Adhikari, while emphasising that PIA should explore the possibility of starting direct flights to Nepal, which would help in promoting trade between the two countries.

During a meeting with business community at the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), the envoy stated that trade promotion would help both countries reduce unemployment and improve living standards of their people.

He highlighted that Pakistan and Nepal had great scope for enhancing cooperation in the tourism sector as both countries had the highest mountain peaks in the world.

Adhikari added that Pakistan’s business community should visit Nepal while he would try to bring a delegation of Nepalese businessmen to Pakistan for forging business linkages between the two countries.

He pointed out that Nepalese people had immense love for Pakistan and wanted to further promote trade relations with Pakistan.

Speaking on the occasion, ICCI President Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan said Pakistan and Nepal should focus on developing strong business linkages between their private sectors in order to explore all untapped areas as the current volume of trade was far less than the actual potential of both countries.

He said Pakistan could provide many products to Nepal including machinery and parts, pharmaceuticals, electronics goods, textile products, leather goods, furniture, fruits and vegetables, meat products and many others, therefore, both countries should find ways for direct trade to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.

Shedding light on potential sectors, Khan pointed out that Pakistan and Nepal had the potential to cooperate in agriculture and livestock, industry, energy, tourism, information technology, banking and finance sectors.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2021.

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