Zubair Qureshi Islamabad
Ambassador of Indonesia Adam M. Tugio on Wednesday paid a visit to Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) and held a discussion with Acting President ICCI Mr. Faad Waheed and executive members of ICCI.
The meeting discussed ways to explore new avenues of collaboration between the Indonesian and Pakistani business communities for mutually beneficial trade transactions. Ambassador Tugio encouraged Pakistani business delegation to visit Indonesia to make personal observations on its potential for international trade and investment. He added that Indonesia and Pakistan share a rich history of friendship and mutual cooperation and the visit by the ICCI would further strengthen B2B relations between the two brotherly countries. Ambassador Tugio emphasized the significance of utilizing the existing Indonesia–Pakistan Preferential Trade Agreement and working towards establishing a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries.
The envoy also highlighted the importance of ASEAN market and stated that Indonesia offers an ideal platform for Pakistani businesses to access ASEAN market of over 650 million consumers due to its strategic location and well-established trade and investment ties with the ASEAN region. “We are eager to showcase the tremendous investment opportunities Indonesia has to offer and I am confident that the visit to Jakarta will result in significant trade and investment deals between business community of both nations”, he said.
Ambassador Tugio shared that there was a strong opportunity for the two countries to build a mutually beneficial trade relationship by exploring complementary sectors. “Surgical equipments, spices, garments, textiles, and traditional herbal medicines have the potential to drive trade between Indonesia and Pakistan and bring economic benefits to both sides”, he added. The envoy mentioned also the interest of business community of Indonesia to invest in Special Economic Zones in Pakistan noting the improved infrastructure of CPEC and some are actively pursuing cooperation agreements with companies in Sialkot and Karachi. He further stated that the Indonesian Embassy is fully prepared to facilitate business-to-business meetings between the Pakistani business community and their counterparts in Indonesia.
In the meeting, Acting ICCI President Mr. Faad Waheed underscored that both nations should promote regular trade delegation exchanges and reaffirmed ICCI’s commitment in strengthening cooperation with Indonesian Embassy in Islamabad. He emphasized on Pakistan’s prospective investment industries, including information technology, tourism, textiles, and pharmaceuticals. Ambassador Tugio thanked and praised ICCI for its significant contribution to fostering economic linkages between the two brotherly countries.
