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Lahore, March 13, 2014 (PPI-OT): Malaysian High Commissioner to Pakistan Dr. Hasrul Sani Mujtabar Thursday appealed to Pakistani businessman to use Malaysia as launching pad to penetrate into ASEAN market that offers huge trade and investment potential.
The Malaysian High Commissioner was speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The LCCI President Engineer Sohail Lashari threw light on the areas where both the countries could join hand while LCCI Vice President Kashif Anwar, Executive Committee members Zafar Mahmood, Mudassar Masood Chaudhry, Mian Muhammad Afzal and Raja Hamid Riaz also spoke on the occasion.
The High Commissioner said that Pakistanis should be more aggressive in availing the business opportunities available in Malaysia. He said that both the countries could joint hands in the areas including of Tourism, Construction, Energy, Education, Agriculture, food preservation and value addition for mutual benefit.
Dr. Hasrul Sani Mujtabar said that both the public and private sectors in Malaysia were ready to share their expertise with Pakistan in all fields of common interest. While calling for strengthening people-to-people contact, the High Commissioner invited Pakistani businessmen to visit Malaysia to interact with their counterparts for having first hand knowledge about new business avenues.
He also pledged that Malaysia would extend all possible support to Pakistan in attaining the status of Full Dialogue Partner in ASEAN. Speaking on the occasion, the LCCI President Engineer Sohail Lashari said that Malaysia has set a unique benchmark by way of successfully launching its own model of ‘modernization with indigenization’.
He said that Malaysia and Pakistan have already signed a Free Trade Agreement in January 2008 which must be utilized for a win-win situation for both the countries. The LCCI President said that FTA between Pakistan and Malaysia has certainly played key role in increasing the volume of bilateral trade but somehow the gap between imports and exports should be minimized.
He said that the only way is to let more and more Pakistani products enter into Malaysian markets. In year 2012, the share of Pakistan in total trade with Malaysia was just 11% against 89% acquired by Malaysia.
He said that Pakistan wanted to have some justifiable share in trade with Malaysia. Pakistan produces good quality and affordable agricultural products. For example Pakistani rice and mangoes are in great demand in Malaysian markets.
Pakistan and Malaysia can cooperate in several fields including energy, medicine, fruits and vegetables, electrical and electronics products. Joint ventures in the fields of livestock and dairy, food processing, energy, chemicals, Halal products and especially in solar panels can further strengthen the trade ties between two countries.
The LCCI President said that Pakistan and Malaysia are members of OIC and the Commonwealth and have excellent diplomatic relations with each other since 1957.
Pakistanis are great admirer of Malaysia and look forward to emulating the footsteps of yours especially in the pursuit of economic development of Malaysia.
He paid rich tributes to Dr. Mahathir Mohamad who transformed the whole Malaysia. He has not only left footprints for generations to follow but also become a source of inspiration for other political and economic leaders particularly from Muslim world as to how a country can excel in any circumstances.
Speaking on the occasion, the LCCI Vice President Kashif Anwar said that the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry was ready to arrange a B2B meeting provided a Malaysian business delegation visits Lahore. Earlier, the LCCI President expressed his heartfelt sorrow over the Malaysian Plane tragedy.
For more information, contact:
Shahid Khalil
Information Department
Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI)
11-Shahrah-e-Aiwan-e-Tijarat,
Lahore -54000, Pakistan
Tel: +9242 111 222 499
Fax: +92 42 636 8854