ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ambassador-designate to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh has said that America was the ‘most attractive’ market for Pakistan and “we have to focus on it to explore more and more economic opportunities.”
He expressed these views while talking to Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari during his visit to the chamber, a news release said.
He said that, as a professional diplomat, the foremost responsibility would be to bring both countries further closer.
The ambassador-designate viewed the United States as a consumer society which was why it enjoyed the vital potential of trade and economic connectivity and “I will focus on more and more liaison to facilitate the holding of exhibitions to showcase Pakistani products.”
Sheikh said he was convinced that Pakistan would successfully overcome its existing economic difficulties and would also approach the Pakistani-Americans irrespective of their political affiliations to persuade them to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan.
He described Pakistan’s IT sector as the most significant and attractive area for the rest of the world because of being the cost-effective as compared to other countries.
Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari noted that the United States was not only the largest export market of Pakistan but also a leading investor with more than 80 companies currently functioning and providing employment to hundreds of thousands of people.
He said both countries were resolute in fostering the existing economic partnership to long-term stability and mutual prosperity by upgrading their economic collaboration in alternative energy, agriculture, climate resilience and technology.
Highlighting the significance of direct flights between the two countries, the ICCI president said over the past few years, the US companies have invested more than $1.5 billion in Pakistan in different sectors, especially in consumer goods, agri-business, financial service, information and communication technology, healthcare and energy.
Expressing good wishes for the ambassador-designate, Bakhtawari said that ICC would not hesitate in extending every possible support to him for building bridges between the business fraternities of both the countries.
Former President ICCI Khalid Javaid mentioned the difficulties the business communities was facing at the moment and termed the expanded investments the only way forward to overcome the problem.
Former ICCI President Mian Shaukat Masood expressed the hope that the ambassador would build all the things articulately and focus on enhancement of country’s exports to the United States.
Acting Vice President Ameer Hamza underlined the need for strengthening linkages between the Chambers of both the countries for the purpose.
Among others, the meeting was attended by Chaudhry Maqsood Tabish, Faizan Shahzad, Malik Mohsin Khalid, Shaikh Ejaz, Chaudhry Mohammad Ali, Sardar Sajjad, Tahir Farooq, Zareef Ahmed, Mudassar Nazir, Chaudhry Waseem and Chaudhry Zia.
