Pakistan Looking to Diversify Exports to EU: Commerce Minister

Federal Minister for Commerce and Investment Syed Naveed Qamar has expressed Pakistan’s desire to diversify its export portfolio to the European Union (EU) by creating linkages between trade and investment.

In a meeting with the Executive Vice President of the European Commission and EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis in Brussels, the minister stressed that investment from the EU in the manufacturing and agro-food sectors will help Pakistan diversify its exports to the EU in a sustainable manner.

The minister underscored that the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP Plus) facility had been mutually beneficial and played an important role in the growth of trade between the two sides.

He also reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment towards the effective implementation of GSP Plus-related international conventions and hoped that the new scheme would continue to focus on its primary aims of sustainable development, good governance, and poverty alleviation without overburdening the partner countries with fresh conditionalities.

While highlighting the importance of Pakistan-EU trade and investment relations, Vice President Dombrovskis reaffirmed the EU Commission’s interest in further strengthening this partnership.