Naveed Ahmad Khan
Islamabad: Senior diplomats from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Senior business leaders on Wednesday expressed the need to re-evaluate the economic and trade relations between ASEAN and Pakistan in order to further enhance mutual economic and trade potential, which will open new avenues for economic and trade cooperation between the two sides.
Direct Air links to ASEAN countries and Pakistan in the near future, Bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Trade Dialogue and aggressive economic diplomacy, Business-to-Business and Government-to-Government Cooperation, elevation from the sectoral to full dialogue partner, strong multilateral linkages between Institutions could pave new avenues for economic and trade cooperation, senior diplomats and business leaders give proposal during the round table dialogue jointly organized by Pakistan ASEAN, Business Forum and United Business Group (UBG) in Islamabad. Under the auspices of Pakistan ASEAN Business Forum, Chairman ASEAN Islamabad Committee and Indonesian Ambassador to Pakistan Adam M. Tugio participated in the forum as Chief guest and former President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce , Zafar Bakhtawari hosted the forum. While senior business leaders from Pakistan and Ambassadors from ASEAN countries and Pakistan including Director General Foreign Office Amir Ahmad Ahtuzai, President United Business Group Zubair Tufail, President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Muhammad Shakeel Munir, Co-Chairman Pakistan ASEAN Friendship Association , Ahsan Bakhtawri, Ambassador of Thailands to Pakistan Mr. Chakkrid Krachaiwong, Ambassador of Vietnam to Pakistan Nguyen Tiean Phong, Charge’de Affairs of Malaysia to Pakistan Deddy Faisal Ahmed Saleh, Minister Counsellor of Myanmar San You Kyaw, Farmer Presidents ICCI Mohsin Khalid and Ahmed Waheed ,Senior Vice President Lahore CCI Mian Rehman Aziz Chan , Senior Vice President , Islamabad Women’s Chamber of Commerce Sadaf Asim Abbasi, Muhammad Azhar Chaudhry from Faisalabad Chamber and Noman Shamim expressing their views and called for enhancing bilateral economic and trade cooperation between ASEAN countries and Pakistan. The speakers said that there has been a major policy breakthrough under the present Pakistan’s government, when the government has shifted its policy from geopolitical to geo-economic approach, which will further strengthen Pakistan’s economic and trade relations with the potential trading partner like ASEAN. They said that relations between the two governments, business communities and the people to people contacts were considered important, as well as expanding bilateral trade in accordance with trade and economic capabilities and implementation of economic and trade policies and agreements. While addressing the session Chairman ASEAN Islamabad Committee and Indonesian Ambassador to Pakistan Adam M. Tugio said that in order to strengthen economic and trade ties between ASEAN and Pakistan, the relationship between the government, the business community and the people needs to be re-established. He said that Pakistan also has a free trade agreement with China and the same FTA has been signed between ASEAN and China from which both countries can benefit. He said that Pakistan and ASEAN need to work on more potential sectors and increase their regional approach for increasing bilateral trade. The Ambassador said the two sides are pursuing integrated policies on trade and economic relations, which are expected to yield good results in the near future. He said that Pakistan and ASEAN need to work on more sectors and increase their regional approach to increase bilateral trade. On the occasion, Director General Foreign Office Amir Ahmad Datozi said that there are huge opportunities for Pakistan in the economies of ASEAN countries with a GDP of $ 3 trillion. He said the two sides are pursuing integrated policies on trade and economic relations, which are expected to yield good results in the near future. Speaking on the occasion, President United Business Group (UBG) Zubair Tufail said that the volume of bilateral trade between ASEAN and Pakistan is only $7 billion which is far below its potential. The ASEAN countries developed economically through the regional economic and trade alliance and the development of ASEAN countries Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand is unprecedented. On the occasion, General Secretary, UBG and former ICCI President Zafar Bakhtawari said that a Free Trade Agreement was needed between Pakistan and ASEAN to promote economic and trade relations between the two sides. There should be a direct air link between ASEAN countries and Pakistan to enhance bilateral ties on both sides. He said that industry should be shifted from ASEAN and industrial cooperation should be further enhanced Addressing the forum, President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Shakeel Munir said that economic and trade relations between Pakistan and ASEAN need to be further enhanced. In this regard, there is a need to improve relations in business communities on both sides and exchange of trade delegation. On the occasion, the Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Tiean Phong, said that in order to achieve economic and trade potential in ASEAN countries and Pakistan, mutual talks and implementation of agreements are needed. He said that Pakistan and ASEAN are two major markets between which cooperation could open new avenues for economic and trade cooperation. Regarding multilateral trade in Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Pakistan’s trade interests with this trading bloc, the Vietnamese Ambassador said that Vietnam, being an active member of ASEAN, would play its full role in paving the way for trade to Pakistan. He added that ASEAN is a very effective trading bloc of the world and has signed FTAs with China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand from which all the regional countries are benefiting. Ambassador Phong said that Pakistan also has good trade and economic relations with ASEAN countries, which need to be further enhanced. The ambassador said that the Golden Jubilee of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Vietnam in 2022, would be marked in a dignified manner in which the development of bilateral diplomatic and trade relations between the two countries would be reaffirmed. He said over the course of these five decades, Pakistan-Vietnam relations have been excellent on the diplomatic, trade and economics fronts and added the two countries supported each other in every international forum and mutual cooperation. He said that trade, economic, cultural and people-to-people contacts between the two sides would have to be further enhanced. On this occasion, the Ambassador of Thailand Mr. Chakkrid Krachaiwong, hinted at the signing of a free trade agreement between Pakistan and Thailand. Malaysia’s Charge’ di Affairs urges increase in ASEAN-Pakistan trade volume.