The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) arranged a Belgian Catalogues Exhibition on Tuesday.
Ambassador of Belgium Charles Idesbald Van Der Gracht, LCCI President Faheem Ur Rehman Saigol, Senior Vice President Tanveer Ahmed Sheikh, and Vice President Khurram Lodhi inaugurated the event. Catalogues of over 100 leading Belgian companies, representing aeronautics, construction, pharmaceuticals, IT, food, environment, steel, logistics, petrochemicals, medical sciences, and other major sectors, were showcased for LCCI members and the business community.
Van Der Gracht said that Pakistan witnessed remarkable developments despite several hurdles. He noted that the country had endured political protests, wars, terrorism, floods, and pollution—yet continued to show exceptional resilience. “This country, which a year ago was almost rescued from a potential bankruptcy, is now on the full path to stabilisation. One can ask, after all you’ve been through in one year—how is this possible?” he remarked.
The Ambassador stated that despite being based in Islamabad, his visits across provinces had shown him the strength and resilience of the Pakistani people and business community. He appreciated Pakistan’s trade surplus with Belgium and stressed the importance of the GSP+ facility, adding that Belgium was working to improve visa processing.
“Over the last three years, we have doubled the number of visas issued. Last year, we welcomed nearly 400 Pakistani students—both men and women—to Belgium,” he noted, emphasising deeper collaboration in education, business, and investment.
He reiterated Belgium’s commitment to support economic cooperation, encourage business linkages, and bolster people-to-people exchanges.
Faheem Ur Rehman Saigol appreciated the Embassy’s partnership with LCCI in organising the exhibition linked with the Belgian Business Contact Day. He said that the display would help the domestic business community explore opportunities with more than 100 Belgian companies from vital industrial sectors.
He highlighted that Belgium holds a key position in global economic systems as a founding member of the EU and home to major international bodies, including NATO and the European Commission. Pakistan and Belgium, he said, have remained steady trading partners.
“We would like to see regular exchange of trade delegations to further enhance trade and investment ties,” he said.
