A high-level delegation of senior officials of the European Union and representatives of leading European companies called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister House on Tuesday morning.
The delegation was led by Mr. Peteris Ustubs, Director (Asia Pacific) of the European Commission’s Directorate General of International Partnerships, and included Ms. Thourya Triki of the EU Investment Bank along with senior executives from major European firms, including Manuel Pauser, Vice President of Adidas, Vice President of Andritz Karl Schloegelbauer, and Regional Director of IKEA Dieter Metkke. The EU Ambassador to Pakistan H.E. Raimundas Karoblis was also present during the meeting. The delegation is in Pakistan to participate in the EU-Pakistan Business Forum.
The Prime Minister welcomed the EU delegation to Pakistan and thanked them for their participation in the EU-Pakistan Business Forum. He said the EU was Pakistan’s largest trading partner and the destination for the highest volume of exports from Pakistan.
While appreciating the convening of the EU-Pakistan Business Forum, the Prime Minister expressed the hope that the event would encourage further enhancement of trade and investment ties between Pakistan and the EU. He assured the EU delegation that the Government would continue making serious efforts to facilitate the growth of trade and investment relations with EU.
He assured the EU delegation of the Government of Pakistan’s firm resolve to continue working towards the stabilization of the economy, despite regional challenges, including the recent spike in oil prices due to the situation in the Middle East. In this regard, the Prime Minister particularly recalled his two recent telephone conversations with EU Council President H.E. Antonio Costa, where they discussed in detail the regional security situation as well as ways to further strengthen Pakistan-EU relations.
While appreciating the Prime Minister’s leading role in peace efforts in the region, the EU delegation expressed deep appreciation to the Government for extending full cooperation in hosting the EU-Pakistan Business Forum. The delegation members shared their experiences of investing in Pakistan and highlighted significant potential for expanding business-to-business ties between the EU and Pakistan in sectors such as energy, communications, and information technology. More than 600 B2B meetings are expected on the sidelines of the forum.
From the Pakistani side, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, Minister for Law, Justice & Human Rights Azam Nazeer Tarar, Advisor to the PM Dr. Tauqir Shah, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, SAPMs Syed Tariq Fatemi and Haroon Akhtar Khan, along with senior government officials, also attended the meeting.