ISLAMABAD       -           Pakistan’s Ambassador-designate to Romania, Zafar Iqbal on Friday visited Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) and exchanged views with the office-bearers of the Chamber on matters for further enhancing bilateral trade and economic relations between Pakistan and Romania. While talking to Muhammad Ahmed, ICCI president, Tahir Abbasi, Senior Vice President, Saif Rehman Khan, Vice President, and members of business community, Zafar Iqbal said that Romania was an important country of Eastern Europe, but was still unexplored by the business community of Pakistan and urged that they should explore Romanian market for trade and exports promotion while Pakistan Embassy in Romania would extend all possible support and facilitation to them in such endeavours.

The Ambassador-designate said that many Pakistani products after value addition by third country were reaching Eastern Europe due to which Pakistan was losing real value of its exports. He emphasized that Pakistani companies should focus on value addition of their products to achieve better results. He said data and information were key for business promotion and assured that he would share information with chambers of commerce about rising opportunities in Romanian market for Pakistani products so that businessmen could capitalize on them. 

Speaking on the occasion, President ICCI Muhammad Ahmed Waheed said that said that Pakistan and Romania were enjoying good political relations that should be translated into growing trade and economic relations. He said that despite grant of GSP Plus by EU, Pakistan could not enhance its exports up to the desired level and urged that government should cooperate with private sector in frequent exchange of trade delegations with Romania that would help in exploring new avenues of business promotion with Romania. Tahir Abbasi, Senior Vice President, and Saif ur Rehman, Vice President ICCI, said that Chamber would consider taking a delegation to Romania to interact with Romanian counterparts and explore business collaborations with them. Muhammad Aslam Khokhar, Abbas Hashmi, Muhammad Ilyas, Naeem ur Rehman Piracha and others also spoke at the occasion and shared ideas for further improving bilateral trade and economic relations between Pakistan and Romania.