LAHORE: Ambassador of Azerbaijan Dashgin Shikarov has invited the Pakistani businessmen to participate in the exhibition and forum being planned for April 2016 in Azerbaijan and Pakistan.
He was talking to Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) President Sheikh Muhammad Arshad. The LCCI Executive Committee Members were also present on the occasion. The Ambassador said that proposed exhibition and forum will provide Pakistani entrepreneurs an opportunity to establish close contacts with their counterparts in Azerbaijan.
He said that Azerbaijan is keen to strengthen trade & economic ties with Pakistan. He said that joint efforts from the business community of both sides can help tap huge potential exist in both countries. He said that bilateral trade between the two countries could be flourished through exchange of trade delegations and holding of single country exhibitions.
Speaking on the occasion, the LCCI President Sheikh Muhammad Arshad said that both Pakistan and Azerbaijan have good diplomatic relations and enjoy strong bonds of Islamic brotherhood but these ties are hardly reflected in two way trade. He said that in 2013, the value of total exports of Pakistan to Azerbaijan was dollar 49.7 million which shrunk to dollar 27.7 million in 2014.
The LCCI President said that it was very unfortunate Pakistan does not figure prominently among the trading partners of Azerbaijan. He said that the main reason of such a low level of trade is lack of proper information about each other’s markets. He proposed that the commercial sections of our respective embassies should share market survey reports with their national chambers.
Sheikh Muhammad Arshad said that in order to increase private to private contacts and bilateral trade, we need to provide every possible assistance. The LCCI President said that America has decided to lift economic sanctions on Iran which will certainly increase bilateral trade between Pakistan and Iran. It can be assumed that Pakistan can easily transport goods via Iran to Azerbaijan which will be beneficial for two way trade.
Sheikh Muhammad Arshad said that the ground realities favour trading of such products which are light in weight and costly in terms of value. Since the businessmen choose to get their shipments airlifted because of difficult and risky land routes, so, we need to identify more such items like sports goods, technical/medical apparatus, tobacco and precious stones etc.
