KARACHI: Consul General of Sri Lanka G. L. Gnanatheva, while suggesting numerous measures for enhancing trade and investment ties between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, asked the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) to send a delegation to Sri Lanka to explore trade and investment opportunities.
Speaking at a meeting during his visit to KCCI, he stressed that the business communities of Pakistan and Sri Lanka would have to make collective efforts to improve the trade volume by exploring more trade opportunities and defining a clear roadmap for growth in trade, investment and exports.
Sri Lankan CG said Sri Lanka offered a lot of opportunities as the country had been producing some high-end products being exported to many developed western countries.
Highlighting Sri Lanka’s Free Trade Agreements with numerous countries around the world, he said that the business community of Karachi must look into the possibility of enhancing trade and investment ties with Sri Lanka, which could be used as a gateway to Europe, United States, United Kingdom and Canada etc. where Pakistani goods can also have a duty free access if sent from Sri Lanka.
Speaking on the occasion, President KCCI Agha Shahab Ahmed Khan, while referring to economic relations between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, said that both countries share cordial and healthy bilateral relations based on cooperation in different economic spheres.
He was of the opinion that specific targets had to be set to enhance trade ties by focusing on those products and sectors in which both countries had comparative advantage.
Emphasizing the need to promote business, mutual understanding and friendly relations between the business communities of Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Agha Shahab suggested more interaction with peer Chambers in Sri Lanka and frequent exchange of business delegations to explore more avenues for enhancing trade and investment cooperation.