Minister for Commerce Engineer Khurram Dastagir Khan has said that an economic turnaround followed by an accelerated pace of economic development was among the foremost priorities of the present government. “A substantive increase in our trade therefore holds the key for much of our future,” he said while addressing Pakistan Envoys Conference on “Interactive Session on Economic Cooperation” on Tuesday.
The commerce minister appreciated the ministry of foreign affairs for organising this conference and said that he was privileged to have been invited on the occasion of today’s envoys conference represented by Pakistan’s Ambassadors in the Middle East Region.
“It is indeed a commendable initiative of the ministry of foreign affairs. This forum, I am sure, would give a new momentum to our growing relations with neighbors in the Middle East. It is a unique opportunity for us to share our perception of the regional potential and present appropriate strategies to serve our economic and trade interests,” he remarked.
Pakistan, he said, “we understand is ideally placed among regions and countries stretching across Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia and China.
Our geographic proximity with energy and oil rich economies of Middle East and Gulf regions has opened up many new economic avenues in diverse sectors of economy including export of merchandize goods, services, investments in energy, industry and infrastructure”.
Khurram Dastagir Khan told the envoys that in today’s world, relations among countries and regions were no longer confined to political and diplomatic spheres.
“Economic dimensions continue to assume considerable importance in determining relations among states. Trade is the basis for a meaningful and sustainable economic cooperation. It is now a determining factor in bilateral, regional and global relations”, he remarked.