Strengthening bilateral links
'Pakistan and Norway have abundant opportunities to broaden bilateral relationship in all spheres of life'.
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan and Norway have abundant opportunities to strengthen and broaden bilateral relationship in all spheres of life, the Norwegian Ambassador to Pakistan Robert Kvile said on Wednesday. He was delivering a lecture on “Pakistan-Norway Bilateral Relations: Contemporary Challenges” jointly organised by Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) Alumni Association and Department of International Relations QAU in Islamabad.
Kvile highlighted the background, scope and different aspects of Pak-Norway relationship in his lecture.
He said that the current level of bilateral trade and investment between the two countries is not significant and that there is huge a potential for enterprises from both countries to start joint ventures.
He identified education, health, good governance and culture as the four priority areas of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
Kvile also acknowledged the contributions of Pakistani Norwegians for the socio-economic development of Norway. “Pakistani origin citizens are the biggest immigrant population in Oslo (the Norwegian capital) and are actively participating in politics and cultural activities and have integrated into the Norwegian society,” he said.
Earlier, answering a question on Norwegian investment in hydrocarbon industry of Pakistan, the ambassador said that some oil and gas companies are seriously considering Pakistan for exploration activities. However, he said, favourable environment for investment was necessary before such an enterprise materialises.
The university’s vice chancellor, Prof Dr Masoon Yasinzai, emphasised the need to develop strong academic linkages between the two countries. Dr Yasinzai underlined the need to promote joint educational, cultural, and research activities. He proposed that top universities in the two countries should offer joint PhD and faculty-exchange programmes.
The lecture was one of the series of the lectures that QAU Alumni Association has planned for 2010. The title of this series is “Speaker at Campus”. The motivation behind the beginning of such initiative is to bring experts closer to the university to share their experience and expertise with the current students, a press handout said.
Asif Noor, chief coordinator QAU Alumni Association; Dr Lubna Abid, chairperson Department of International Relations; and other senior faculty members, scholars and students attended the lecture.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 4th, 2010.
Pakistan and Norway have abundant opportunities to strengthen and broaden bilateral relationship in all spheres of life, the Norwegian Ambassador to Pakistan Robert Kvile said on Wednesday. He was delivering a lecture on “Pakistan-Norway Bilateral Relations: Contemporary Challenges” jointly organised by Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) Alumni Association and Department of International Relations QAU in Islamabad.
Kvile highlighted the background, scope and different aspects of Pak-Norway relationship in his lecture.
He said that the current level of bilateral trade and investment between the two countries is not significant and that there is huge a potential for enterprises from both countries to start joint ventures.
He identified education, health, good governance and culture as the four priority areas of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
Kvile also acknowledged the contributions of Pakistani Norwegians for the socio-economic development of Norway. “Pakistani origin citizens are the biggest immigrant population in Oslo (the Norwegian capital) and are actively participating in politics and cultural activities and have integrated into the Norwegian society,” he said.
Earlier, answering a question on Norwegian investment in hydrocarbon industry of Pakistan, the ambassador said that some oil and gas companies are seriously considering Pakistan for exploration activities. However, he said, favourable environment for investment was necessary before such an enterprise materialises.
The university’s vice chancellor, Prof Dr Masoon Yasinzai, emphasised the need to develop strong academic linkages between the two countries. Dr Yasinzai underlined the need to promote joint educational, cultural, and research activities. He proposed that top universities in the two countries should offer joint PhD and faculty-exchange programmes.
The lecture was one of the series of the lectures that QAU Alumni Association has planned for 2010. The title of this series is “Speaker at Campus”. The motivation behind the beginning of such initiative is to bring experts closer to the university to share their experience and expertise with the current students, a press handout said.
Asif Noor, chief coordinator QAU Alumni Association; Dr Lubna Abid, chairperson Department of International Relations; and other senior faculty members, scholars and students attended the lecture.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 4th, 2010.