Foreign relations: Event held to woo Dutch investors

Balochistan Economic Forum highlights province’s potential.

KARACHI: Economic development is the operative word when one thinks of the Gwadar port in Balochistan.

The hidden wealth buried in the province and the potential for trade through Gwadar Port were the highlights of a presentation given by Balochistan Economic Forum (BEF) President Sardar Shoukat Popalzai and Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) Director General Sajjad Hussain.

It was an event organised by the BEF to convey investment opportunities to Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Marcel de Vink at a local hotel in Karachi.

The presentation reviewed the development that has taken place place over the past few years in Balochistan, drawing attention to the potential for economic gains for the Netherlands.

However, while the BEF president highlighted its potential, he remarked that there were issues that have been a thorn in the province’s development. He said that in many instances gas pipelines were stopped due to international pressure. “The international community is focusing more on Chabahar port in Iran in order to move attention away from Gwadar,” he said.

He stressed that the government needed to exploit hydrocarbon resources in the province by launching mega projects. This alone would be a goldmine for the province and the country. Highlighting the fact that since Iran had copious oil reserves, he said that Balochistan, being in close proximity with the country, would also have the same.

The ambassador thanked the president of the forum and appreciated the efforts behind the presentation. “The word game-changer has been used and it’s a very important word,” Vink said.

“The Dutch philosophy is very business to business. Our motto is trade not aid, which is critical,” he said. “Netherlands will contribute when it comes to development of ports, water treatment and agriculture.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th,  2015.

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