ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan invited the Sri Lankan businessmen to invest in Pakistan and said trade connectivity among the countries of the Asian sub-continent was vital for poverty alleviation.
Addressing the Pakistan-Sri Lanka Trade and Investment Conference held in Colombo jointly chaired with his Sri Lanka counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa, the prime minister proposed establishing trade links similar to those mong the European countries which could prove beneficial for the prosperity of the Asian subcontinent.
PM Imran Khan and Mahinda Rajapaksa led their business delegations at the conference held to explore avenues of collaboration in diverse fields. The prime minister said political stability in the region by maintaining good relations with neighbouring countries ensured business-friendly environment that resulted in the development of the people.
He said Pakistan and Sri Lanka could explore the idea of generating wealth through joint business activities and diverting the wealth to alleviate poverty. PM Imran Khan offered the Sri Lankan businessmen to explore the immense opportunities offered by the government of Pakistan in the form of ease-of-doing business. He said his government would welcome and facilitate investment from the island nation.
The prime minister mentioned that as Pakistan and Sri Lanka both suffered the brunt of terrorism in the past, their journey together towards development could make a difference. He expressed intent for Pakistan to learn from Sri Lanka’s advanced tourism industry and mentioned that he made the tourism minister part of his delegation to explore the area.
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PM Imran Khan said Pakistan had a lot of undiscovered sites of religious tourism including the Gandhara civilization and trails of Buddhism, adding that a recently discovered 40-feet-long Sleeping Buddha could be of special interest for Sri Lankan tourists. He said joining the Belt and Road Initiative could open up new avenues for Sri Lanka with an opportunity to connect from Gwadar to Central Asian states.
PM Imran Khan emphasised that the South Asian region needed to resolve its mutual conflicts through dialogue for sustainable prosperity. He said Pakistan could also play a part in reducing tensions between the United States and China, for the ultimate benefit of people across the continents.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said with Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Pakistan and Sri Lanka could exploit the potential of enhanced trade. He said Pakistan was ensuring ease-of-doing business particularly in housing and real estate sector to promote growth. He invited the Sri Lankan businessmen to explore and benefit from the business opportunities offered by the government of Pakistan.
Commerce Adviser Abdul Razzak Dawood said the existing trade volume between Pakistan and Sri Lanka did not commensurate their friendly relations and thus needed a thrust in their bilateral economic strategies. He expressed confidence that close collaboration between the businessmen and investors of Pakistan and Sri Lanka could contribute to the stability of economic indicators.
The Sri Lankan State Minister for Commerce said Pakistan and Sri Lanka could cooperate to fill the resource gap keeping in view their friendly relations. He proposed joint collaboration between industries of the two countries, besides engagement at people-to-people level in the field of education and health.
He lauded Pakistan’s change in focus from geo-strategic level to geo-economics, adding that Sri Lanka was ready to collaborate for South-South partnership in areas including pharmaceuticals.
