ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Bosnia have agreed to improve the volume of trade between the two countries from existing 4.5 million Euros, and signed memorandum of understandings (MoUs) for cooperation in science and technology, and readmission of their own citizens.
The MoUs signing ceremony was witnessed by Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Sefik Dzaferovic on Wednesday.
At a joint media briefing, after the MoUs signing ceremony in science and technology as well as on readmission of their own citizens and the accompanying protocol, Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Sefik Dzaferovic agreed that trade volume between the two countries could be increased from the current level of 4.5 million Euros.
The prime minister said that “he wants to welcome the chairperson of Bosnian Presidency to Pakistan and wanted to tell him that people of Pakistan have a special place for Bosnia since 1990s when Bosnia went through worse period”.
He added that the People of Pakistan stood with the people of Bosnia and signed agreements but also decided to improve trade relationship, which unfortunately were around 4.5 million Euros.
“We have a meeting and would have further meetings to improve the trade,” added the prime minister. He said he wanted to thank the Chairperson for the support by Bosnia on stance of Pakistan regarding Kashmir. He said Bosnia government took a very principled stance and they talked about the right of the people of Kashmir and just settlement. “We also discussed what is happening in France and condemned the terrorist acts and felt the importance of inter-religious harmony. Freedom of speech should not be used as instrument to hurt the feeling of any religious group,” added the prime minister.
He said any insult ridicule or any mocking of Prophet (peace be upon him) caused great pain to the Muslim and unless that was understood that cycle of violence would keep happening.
The Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia said Pakistan and Bosnia were friendly countries and there were plenty of opportunities to cooperate.
He also expressed gratitude for all the assistance Pakistan provided during the war and sending people in peacekeeping troops with the UN for stabilisation in Bosnia afterward.
He said Bosnia had done what it could do by responding in kind following the earthquake by sending doctors and ambulances. “We have discussed the opportunities for further cooperation and signed two agreements,” adding that the current trade volume could be improved. “We have touched upon agriculture, military industry economy and there are very good opportunities to explore in the future,” he added.
Sefik Dzaferovic further stated that Bosnia issued a statement regarding Kashmir and took a joint stance, and his country was very clear that human rights of the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir must be respected.
He also added that resolution of the dispute lied in line with the UN Security Council resolutions.
He said “we condemned the terrorist attacks that took place in France and Austria and also in many other places throughout the world. We have a joint stance on this issue that terrorism is a global evil and nothing good can come out of the evil”.
“We also condemned rampant Islamophobia that exists throughout the world which is simply unacceptable as religious feelings of the Muslims should not be hurt.”
He said human freedom was unlimited and should be unlimited; however, there was one limitation that had to be recognised and that was the freedom of another man.
He added that freedom of another man had to be taken into account by everyone.
He also emphasised the need to build bridges and unity around diversity.
He said there was a need of a global dialogue on that issue of not hurting the feelings of another man.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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