Talking to the ambassadors, the president said that Pakistan and the Central Asian countries should utilise the available trade avenues to promote mutual trade and boost business activities.
He said that economic and commercial relations between Pakistan and the Central Asian countries should be promoted by organising business forums and launching joint ventures in the areas of mutual interest. “We need to implement the decisions taken on the platform of the Joint Economic Forum,” he said.
The president said that by improving connectivity and modes of communications, the countries of the region could enhance their trade and economic activities significantly. He said that due to its geo-strategic location, Pakistan offered the shortest access to Afghanistan and Central Asian countries through Gwadar and Karachi seaports.
President Zardari called for the early implementation of the projects that focused on meeting the energy requirements of the countries. He said that the early implementation of such projects, which included electricity transmission lines and gas pipelines, would boost production levels in these countries, promoting economic activities and creating more jobs.
Ways to extend mutual cooperation in training programmes for bankers, diplomats, business professionals, armed forces and law-enforcement personnel were also discussed during the meeting.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 24th, 2011.
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