Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday said Pakistan was looking forward to enhanced interaction with international organisations in order to adopt and implement best practices for increasing the country’s share in global trade.

Talking to International Trade Centre (ITC) Executive Director Mrs Arancha Gonzalez here at the PM’s House, the PM said his government was devising a national E-commerce policy being jointly worked upon by federal ministers of Finance, Commerce and Information Technology.

The prime minister welcomed the executive director on her first ever visit to Pakistan and extended gratitude for ITC’s support to the Government of Pakistan in various trade initiatives, technical assistance and capacity-building projects.

Nawaz Sharif observed that visit of ITC’s Executive Director that followed the first-ever visit of Director General World Trade Organisation (WTO) underscored Pakistan’s commitment to participation in multilateral trade as a responsible, effective and positive member of the international community.

PM Nawaz informed the executive director of his government’s efforts that stabilised Pakistan’s economy, and was on its way to achieve further higher growth trajectory in the coming months. He thanked her for inaugurating the first-ever “She Trades” seminar in Pakistan, saying that his government was fully committed to empowerment of women at the broadest level and enhancing their participation in international trade.

Mrs Arancha Gonzalez said that Pakistan’s economy had achieved stability and was further boosting after the improved security and law and order. She said the massive investment in improving the country’s infrastructure, especially the roads and communication networks had started giving dividends.

She appreciated the government’s concrete steps which had reduced power shortages paving the way for ensuring enhanced economic activities. “This is my first visit to Pakistan as Executive Director International Trade Centre and what I have seen is the country on the move, a country that has made enormous progress on stabilising the macro economic situation and improving the infrastructure, improving the security,” she said.

“We will support in simplifying trade rules, in boosting the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises here in Pakistan so that they could contribute strongly,” she said. Federal Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastgir, Dr Muhammad Saeed, Senior Advisor, ITC; Matthew Anthony Wilson, ITC; Dr Syed Tauqir Shah, Ambassador of Pakistan to the WTO and other senior government officials were also present.