ISLAMABAD: A delegation of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), led by Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari, President, visited Thailand and held meetings with the office bearers of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Thai-Pakistan Business Council to explore business opportunities between the two countries.
The delegation was representing various sectors, including pharmaceuticals, textiles, construction, edible oil, marble, light engineering, hospitality, the retail sector, importers, and exporters.
Speaking on the occasion, Ahsan Zafar said that Pakistan and Thailand have immense potential for bilateral trade, which should be exploited to achieve beneficial results for both economies.
He said that the current trade volume between the two countries is relatively low; however, there are numerous opportunities for growth and expansion that remain untapped.
He said that both countries can complement each other in many areas, as Thailand is a significant exporter of electronics, automobiles, and machinery, while Pakistan is a huge market with over 240 million consumers and abundant natural resources like cotton, rice, and textiles.
He said that the agriculture, textiles, and energy sectors hold great potential for trade between Pakistan and Thailand, which should be taken advantage of.
He said that Thailand has expertise in the renewable energy sector, and it should cooperate with Pakistan in this sector to meet our growing energy needs.
He said that the purpose of the visit of the ICCI delegation to Thailand is to interact with Thai counterparts and explore new areas of mutual cooperation to unlock new business opportunities for a more prosperous future for their citizens.
He also briefed the Thai counterparts about the investment potential in various sectors of Pakistan’s economy and invited them to visit Pakistan to explore the possibilities of joint ventures and investment.
The office bearers of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and Thai-Pakistan Business Council welcomed the ICCI delegation and assured their full cooperation to promote business linkages between the private sectors of Thailand and Pakistan and explore all untapped areas of mutual cooperation between the two countries.
They said that Thailand and Pakistan can benefit from increased trade and investment; therefore, it is important for both countries to work together to encourage frequent trade delegations in order to identify new areas for improving business and investment relations.
They said that with supportive policies and incentives from both sides, the business relationship between Pakistan and Thailand could flourish in the years ahead.
They hoped that the visit of the ICCI delegation to Thailand would lead to good business partnerships between the two countries.