Belgium Envoy visits RCCI; calls for exploring new avenues of trade fostering

RAWALPINDI, March 22: Frederic Verheyden, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium, paid a visit to the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) here on Tuesday. He was accompanied by Abid M. Husain, Trade Commissioner, and Shaukat Nawaz Niazi, Trade & Commercial Officer, Embassy of Belgium. Acting President RCCI Saqib Rafiq, former senior vice president Raja Amer Iqbal, secretary general Irfan Manan, members of the executive committee and a large number of traders and industrialists were also present on the occasion.
In his address Belgium envoy said that his Embassy is mulling over the prospects to bring a trade mission to Pakistan for exploring new avenues of promoting business relations between Belgium and Pakistan.
He stressed that Pakistan should think beyond conventional products to improve trade with Belgium and private sector of Pakistan should accelerate its efforts to expand the sphere of cooperation with Belgium.
He said many Pakistani products have the potential to find good market in Belgium. He said Belgium is cooperating with Pakistan in different sectors like energy, infrastructure, dairy, poultry and humanitarian sector.
He said Pakistan’s outlook and image is improving and it is changing towards positive; however, it has to create a promising environment by addressing energy, infrastructure, security and other issues to attract Belgium investors for joint ventures and investment. He said China Pakistan Economic corridor (CPEC) will serve as a key driver for Pakistan’s economy as it will give access to Arabian Sea and beyond.
He assured his full cooperation to the Chamber for strengthening the trade relations between the two countries. In his welcome address, Acting President, Saqib Rafiq said that Belgium is the 5th largest trading partner of Pakistan within European Union, but the bilateral trade of around $884 million is insufficient keeping in view the available potential of the two countries.
He said both countries should fully cooperate with private sectors for taking volume of two-way trade up to above $ 2 billion. He said Belgium should cooperate with Pakistan in improving value chain. He said textile, cereals, cotton, leather and sports goods have a great potentials and urged the envoy to improve the exports volume in these sectors.
He said that we import iron, machinery, electronic, chemicals and pharmaceuticals from Belgium but we want a technology transfer for these sectors. He suggested that Belgium expertise in information technology, dairy farming, and energy and infrastructure sectors is much needed in Pakistan Industrial Sector including technical cooperation and knowledge exchange.
To take the benefit out of the existing opportunities, exchange of Delegation is important, he added. Single country Exhibitions can be a great source of introducing products in each other’s Market, he said.
He said that a Belgium Information Desk is required here in Chamber where members can get informational catalogues and brochures. He invited Belgium envoy to bring Belgium Companies representatives in the upcoming international trade and expo conference being organized by RCCI in August this year. DNA