Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has decided to take a 100-member delegation comprising leading industrialists and traders to Uzbekistan to boost trade and investment ties between the two brotherly countries.
The delegation will represent business community of all four provinces, Gilgit Baltistan, FATA and PATA. This decision was taken after a meeting between FPCCI President Senator Haji Ghulam Ali and Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Pakistan Oybek Arif Usmanov at FPCCI Capital Office.
Deputy Head of Mission Asmatullah Fiazullah, Chairman Coordination Raza Khan, FPCCI Chairman Media Malik Sohail and others were also present at the occasion. At the occasion, Ghulam Ali, who is also Vice President Islamic Chamber of Commerce, said that forging brotherly ties with all Muslim countries, especially Central Asian States, was his mission. He said that frictions will help nobody while cordial relations and enhanced trade ties will benefit everyone.
The Senator said that business community of two countries can benefit from each other in sectors like energy, textiles, leather, cotton, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, car and tractor manufacturing, cables, steel, railway, tourism, telecom, fertilisers, cargo transportation, transit, IT and public health engineering. He said Pakistan is trying to overcome energy shortages and should seek access to surplus central Asian electricity.
Usmanov informed that Uzbekistan was already providing power to Afghanistan and would be happy with it, adding that they could provide 800MW of electricity to Pakistan via Peshawar on very reasonable rates. The ambassador said they are looking forward to enhanced exchange of business delegations and increased cooperation. Uzbekistan is the world’s second largest cotton exporter and sixth largest cotton producer, it can share expertise on insect-resistant cotton and anti-cotton virus technology, said Usmanov.
