Bilateral trade between Pakistan and Serbia needs to be increased on the lines of mutually beneficial comparative advantage. The statement was made by the President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi while meeting Pakistan’s Ambassador-designate to Serbia, Ali Haider Altaf, at his official state residence Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad. He said that all diplomatic resources of the Pakistani embassy in Serbia need to be utilized to enhance cooperation between the two countries. Business-to-business contacts need to be revitalized so that traders from both countries can explore economic opportunities to expand their businesses internationally.

He continued, “this can be achieved by increasing the frequency of contacts between the two countries. Visits of the dignitaries of the two countries will build trust and break the ice, necessary for a long-term relationship. Thereafter areas can be explored for practical cooperation.” He said, “we need to cooperate in areas of tourism, higher education, technical education, information technology, and culture.” He told the ambassador to take with him the message of a peaceful Pakistan that is ideal for foreign investment and tourism.

Pakistan and Serbia can cooperate in the fields of hydropower, railways, communication, industry and commerce, renewable energy and waste management technologies, he stressed. Arif Alvi also said that if a presidential mission of Serbia is opened in Islamabad, Pakistan, it would greatly facilitate bringing the two countries together for business-related enterprises and people-to-people contacts. Further, he congratulated Ali Haider Altaf on his appointment as Pakistan’s ambassador-designate to Serbia and expressed the hope that he will accelerate the Pakistani mission’s efforts to further improve bilateral ties between the two friendly countries.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk