Pakistan and Tajikistan should enhance the level of trade and deepen economic ties to explore the avenues for bilateral cooperation, said Ambassador of Tajikistan in Pakistan Ismatullo Nasredin.
Speaking to the business community at the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, he added that urged the business community of Pakistan to explore bilateral cooperation in trade, investments, joint ventures and two way linkages.
On the occasion, FPCCI Senior Vice President Suleman Chawla expressed concern over the low volume of bilateral trade between the two countries and called upon both sides to exploit the true trade potential.
He further called upon the business communities of both sides to make full use of Pakistan’s accession into the United Nations’ TIR Convention that enabled cross-border trade through land-based logistics which was faster and cheaper at the same time.
FPCCI Vice President Shaukat Omerson added that the TIR transportation system was the only international inter-modal customs transit arrangement which established a major facilitation tool for both transport and trade.
“Pakistan’s accession in TIR Convention will surely enhance the opportunities for bilateral and regional trade between Pakistan and the regional and sub-regional countries,” he added.
Read: PM, Tajik president exchange views on Afghanistan
FPCCI Pakistan-Tajikistan Business Council Chairman Haroon Qaiser said that the chamber was willing to provide its apex platform to Tajikistan’s importers in a bid to help them explore the opportunities to import textiles, rice, fresh and processed food products, surgical goods, IT services and sports goods.
Separately during his visit to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the ambassador and KCCI President Muhammad Idrees identified lack of connectivity between Pakistan and Tajikistan as one of most serious hurdles hindering trade. They jointly stressed the need to commence direct flights between Pakistan and Tajikistan to reduce the travel time to just one hour and twenty minutes from 22 hours at present.
Both officials noted that despite being geographically close to each other and having huge potential to improve the trade and economic relations, the trade volume remained limited due to lack of connectivity.
The envoy announced to hold a meeting with Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority next week and discuss the issue for swift resolution of the problem.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 1st, 2022.
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