Pakistan offers Nigeria to take benefit of Pak textile, enter joint ventures

President Asif Ali Zardari has offered Nigeria to take benefit of Pakistan’s expertise in textile and enter into joint ventures to revive its textile and garments industry.
He was talking to his Nigerian counterpart Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in Islamabad on Wednesday.
The President said that Pakistan was ready to sign with Nigeria MoUs on Education‚ Maritime‚ Oil and Gas Development‚ Agriculture development‚ Trade and Communication for the mutual benefit of the people of the two countries.
Spokesperson to the President Senator Farhatullah Babar said the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere where the two Presidents discussed host of issues ranging from bilateral relations to further exploring and working out ways and means for further strengthening the existing relations.
President Zardari while welcoming his counterpart to Pakistan‚ who is paying visit after thirty years‚ highlighted the friendly and cordial relations between the two countries and said Pakistan was keen to further strengthen its political‚ economic and commercial ties with Nigeria. He said that Pakistan wanted to engage actively with Nigeria‚ at bilateral and multilateral level‚ being an important country in Western Africa and also sharing with Pakistan identical views on regional and global issues.
While noting the existing negligible volume of trade between the two countries‚ he said that the size and potential of the two countries needs to be fully exploited so as to translate it into economic terms.
President Zardari proposed that the two sides may sign a bilateral trade agreement which would significantly help enhancing trade interaction between the two countries. He also said that Pakistan was also keen to open its Trade Mission in Lagos.
He said that Pakistan can offer courses to Nigeria in Science and Technology‚ Finance‚ Economics‚ Banking and Agriculture. He also said that Nigeria may explore opportunities to benefit from the developed defence industry of Pakistan.
Nigerian President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan appreciated the elaborate arrangements made by Pakistan for the D-8 Summit. President Jonathan also expressed his country’s keen desire to further strengthen its multifaceted relations with Pakistan and to further cement trade and economic ties with the country as to take advantage of the available opportunities.