Vice Admiral (R) Faisal Lodhi, Pakistan's Ambassador-Designate to Maldives, has reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation with Maldives across all sectors. During his visit to the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and discussions with its President Nasir Mansoor Qureshi, he acknowledged the massive need for showcasing Pakistan's trade and tourism potential to captivate Maldives' business community. Lodhi considered direct flights between the two nations crucial for boosting two-way imports and exports, as well as enhancing people-to-people and business-to-business connectivity. He added that, by exploring opportunities in trade, tourism, and education, Pakistan and Maldives can strengthen their relationship and promote economic growth. He also underlined the need for the constitution of a Joint Ministerial Commission to foster multifaceted ties between the two countries.

The Ambassador designate admitted the vital role the business community of Pakistan in the growth and development of multidimensional relations between the countries by saying that ICCI can play an important role to enhance the volumes of bilateral trade in construction materials, pharmaceuticals, textiles and food items, among others. Nasir Mansoor Qureshi, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, highlighted that Pakistan, being the world's 5th most populous country with over 220 million people, offers unparalleled opportunities for service provision across multiple industries. He said that collaboration between the government and private sector can help address challenges, improve infrastructure, and increase competitiveness in the global market and that leather goods, sports items, cutlery, surgical instruments, and cottage industry pieces hold immense potential for growth and can greatly contribute to country's economy.

President Qureshi went on to say that ICCI is ready to host trade delegations from Maldives to Pakistan in order to facilitate the Maldivian importers to have firsthand knowledge of Pakistani products from varied industries and sectors and to enhance B2B linkages. He expressed the hope that bilateral trade between the two brotherly countries will scale up and will reach new heights through capitalizing on unconventional sectors and exploration of new avenues. The meeting was also attended by ICCI members Naeem Siddiqui, Khalid Chaudhry and Secretary General Ghulam Murtaza.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan