Pakistan and Syria discussed various methods to develop trade cooperation between both countries, including health, food, and services.
A meeting of the Pakistan-Syria Joint Business Council was held, chaired by the Vice President of the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI), Umar Masood ur Rehman, in which various methods to develop trade cooperation between both countries were discussed, including health, food, and services, in the interest of the businessmen of both countries.
The Ambassador of Syria to Pakistan, Dr. Mazen Obeid, attended the meeting as a special guest and invited the participants to visit Syria and attend the exhibition in July.
The Chairman of the Pakistan-Syria Business Council, Ali Raza Rizvi, discussed the possibilities of exporting Syrian products to Pakistan and, similarly, the required products from Pakistan to Syria. He appreciated the efforts of Pakistan to increase trade with Syria.
The third Secretary of the Syrian Embassy in Islamabad, Nowruz Muhammad, also gave a presentation on business opportunities in Syria.
The meeting was attended by the Pakistani Ambassador in Damascus, Muhammad Saeed Khan; the Chairman of the Pakistan-Belarus Joint Business Council and President of the Mardan Chamber, Saad Masood Ur Rehman; the Director-General of the Trade Development Authority Pakistan (TDAP), Muhammad Naseer Kamboh; and a number of businessmen and women from Pakistan.
Note that the Syrian-Pakistani Joint Business Council is a department that falls under the FPCCI.
Speaking at the occasion, the Vice President of FPCCI assured that the FPCCI will always be ready to work with the Syrian Embassy to improve trade and economic relations between Pakistan and Syria. Both sides have good potential to enhance cooperation in tourism, health, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and other sectors.
Furthermore, Pakistan and Syria should focus on joint ventures, investment projects, commercial deals, and organizing exhibitions for further improvement in business relationships.
The Chairman of the Pakistan-Syria Joint Business Council, the Chairman of the Pakistan-Belarus Joint Business Council, and the President of the Mardan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) said that Pakistan’s business community is ready to contribute to reducing the economic problems of the Syrian business people.
It was said that many products from Pakistan, including marble and granite, pharmaceuticals, leather goods, food products, steel, cement, IT, and light engineering, can find a good market in Syria and these products should be imported from Pakistan.
Ambassador Obeid said that there should be strong trade and economic ties with Pakistan as both countries have good potential to enhance cooperation in many fields for their mutual benefit. He emphasized the need to create a Pak-Syria Business Council to promote business relations between the two countries.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has also started two weekly flights to Syria and hoped that it will help improve trade between the two countries.
The ambassador also urged the private sectors of both countries to participate in each other’s exhibitions to explore new avenues of business collaboration. He further stated that the Syrian Arab Republic is hosting an exhibition in July and requested for Pakistani businessmen to participate in it to promote interaction between the business people of both countries. He also suggested that FPCCI should also send a delegation to visit Syria.
