KARACHI - Political and Trade Counsellor of Canadian High Commission, Denis Chouinard has said that the Canadian High Commission and Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) continue to enjoy strong ties which not only help in information sharing but also support in further strengthening trade relations between the two countries.
Talking to acting president KCCI, Muffasar A Malik during his visit to KCCI, Denis Chouinard said that Canada is eager to boost trade ties with Pakistan and various measures have been adopted for wooing foreign investments.
Denis Chouinard further said that Pakistani and Canadian investors could invest and undertake joint ventures in different sectors particularly mining, medical, engineering, information technology and education sectors. “We want to create linkages between business communities of both countries”, he added.
Denis Chouinard mentioned that although some reduction in trade volume between the two countries was seen last year but the situation is improving and the Canadian government is keen to do more in this regard, he added.
He said that around 2 million people from this region were living in Canada, of which 1 million are from India and 300,000 from Pakistan whereas the rest of 700,000 are from neighboring countries including Sri Lanka and Bangladesh etc. Canadians of Pakistani origin are contributing to the economy and enriching the multicultural fabric of Canada. To a query, he informed that three visa application centers have been established in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore in order to facilitate the visa issuance process and provide hassle-free service to Pakistanis intending to visit Canada.
Acting president KCCI, Muffasar A. Malik said that KCCI has always enjoyed a very close and constructive relationship with Canadian High Commission, besides remaining vibrant and step-ahead in strengthening trade ties and exploring new bilateral trade prospects with Canada.Vice President KCCI, Muhammad Idrees, Trade Commissioner of Canadian Commercial Office, Consulate of Canada Ather M. Khan, Former President KCCI, Majyd Aziz and other Managing Committee members including Agha Shahab, Zafar Saeed Baghpatee, Durr-e-Shahwar Nisar, Shahid Jahangir and others were also present on the occasion.