Swedish companies’ officials to visit Pakistan

Diplomat assures Pakistan of support in winning GSP Plus status.

LAHORE: Representatives of Swedish companies producing clean technologies as well as a delegation of women entrepreneurs will visit Pakistan in the next two months in an effort to help strengthen bilateral economic relations between the two countries.

Swedish Ambassador to Pakistan Lars Hjalmar-wide said this while speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).

He also assured Pakistan that Sweden would extend every possible help to the country in winning Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) Plus status from the European Union, referring to the duty concessions offered to selected countries that meet certain criteria.

He said Sweden being an important member of the European Union had huge untapped potential and Pakistani businessmen should come forward to avail this opportunity.

He asked the Pakistani business community to adopt an aggressive strategy for entering the Swedish market because Swedes were not only quality-conscious but were also very selective and careful while making deals.

He said Sweden was doing 80 per cent of its trade with regional countries in the European Union and Pakistan should adopt the same methodology because it had a marvelous potential in all the sectors.

LCCI President Irfan Qaiser Sheikh said the chamber would organise a seminar in the second half of Marchi before the arrival of Swedish delegation between mid-April and early May to make LCCI members aware of the benefits of clean technologies. “This activity will boost the chances of matchmaking during B2B meetings and also of exploring possibilities of joint ventures,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21^st, 2012.