BUCHAREST, ROMANIA Jan 10 (APP): Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi Monday urged the Romanian investors and businessmen to avail of the huge trade and investment opportunities in Pakistan.
Addressing a joint press conference along with his Romanian counterpart Bogdan Aurescu, the foreign minister said a huge potential existed for the Romanian investors in not only promoting the bilateral trade ties, but also from the prospects of Pakistan being a hub of exports to Central Asia as the new markets were now being opened up for the world.
He said Pakistan was building an economic corridor with China, and the construction of Gwadar port would open the world to the landlocked Central Asian Republics and Afghanistan.
Qureshi said that during his meetings with the Romanian leadership, they discussing measures to promote the economic relations.
He said great opportunities existed between the two countries to further develop understanding as it was the right time to move ahead.
He said according to the Romanian counterpart, the bilateral trade between the two countries, during the last fiscal year, increased by around 50.6 per cent despite Covid challenge.
However, it was not near the real potential existed between the two countries in the context of the bilateral ties and the trade opportunities with the European Union, he observed.
The foreign minister said Pakistan was at the advantageous position. With GSP+ status, they felt that it had been mutually beneficial for both the EU and Pakistan.
“Pakistan has been an important trader of the EU and Pakistan has very important relationship with the EU and its members,” he added.
Referring to signing of agreement between the chambers of the two countries, Qureshi said that it would open new avenues for the corporate sector and private sector of the two countries. The private sector had been and would be a driving force in growing the bilateral trade ties between Pakistan and Romania.
The foreign minister said Pakistan and Romania enjoyed excellent diplomatic ties spanning over 58 years and both the countries had been supporting each other at multilateral levels.
“I want to acknowledge that besides, excellent bilateral relations and goodwill to each other, our exchanges are frequent. I am here with a very determined view to initiate a new era in our bilateral ties,” he said expressing the optimism that his visit would set a new tone for the new era of bilateral relations.
The foreign minister further said that both sides also discussed the regional, global and Afghan situation.
He said that he also shared with the Romanian side, the delicate situation on the eastern side of Pakistan, in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, adding Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) had also spoken about it.
The foreign minister also expressed his confidence that the educational agreement would benefit Pakistani students.
He also thanked the Romanian government and its people on behalf of the prime minister and people of Pakistan for generously donating 5,000 doses of coronavirus to Pakistan.
