ISLAMABAD: The second Pak-Bahrain Business Opportunities Conference will start from today (Wednesday) and it will continue till the end of the current month here in Islamabad.
Pakistani side will be led by Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastgir Khan while Bahraini delegation will be led by Minister for Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Zayed Alzayani. A business delegation comprising leading companies and investors will visit Pakistan to attend the conference.
Main imports from Bahrain include aluminum (rods, tubes, wires), scrap iron, fabric of cotton while major exports to Bahrain comprise rice, cotton textiles, cotton raw, sheets of propane, iced shrimp, beef·& sheep frozen, fresh fruit and vegetables.
“The 1st Pak-Bahrain Business Opportunities Conference was held in 2016 at Manama Bahrain in September 2016. Commerce Minister of Pakistan led a business delegation of 200 businessmen on self finance basis” a well placed official source at Ministry of Commerce (MoC) told Customs Today.
Presently, the source said that MoC was negotiating market access initiatives with the following OIC countries Pak-Iran FTA Pak-Turkey PTA Pak-GCC FTA. Due to efforts initiated by the MoC, UAE authorities have lifted the ban on export of poultry and poultry products from Pakistan to UAE.
The source recalled that both countries on the platform of Joint Economic Committee (JEC) had agreed to enhance bilateral trade. Both have also expressed satisfaction over the up-gradation of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) to the level of Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC).
The source said that upcoming Pak-Bahrain Business Opportunities Conference would provide a rare opportunity to investors and businessmen of both sides to discuss the potential areas of two-way investments, bilateral trade and expansion of existing commercial ties.
“The Business to Business session will be jointly chaired by the Presidents of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of both countries and this is also a very welcome step for the business communities to enhance the level of their interaction, and work closely with each other in taking forward the economic ties between their countries” the source maintained.
The source said that the participation of both ministers would send a very positive signal to the business community in both countries that the governments were fully supportive of expanding the business and trade relations between our people and our governments.
The source maintained that the conference would be attended by members of the royal family, ministers, top business leaders and distinguished delegates from Bahrain, Dubai, Qatar and Saudi Arabia which would create a wonderful opportunity for Pakistani businessmen to highlight the business, trade and investment potential of Pakistan.
