Boosting trade, investment: five-year visa facility for Brazilian businessmen proposed

Ministry of Interior is in a process to finalise modalities for granting five-year multiple entry visa to the members of Brazilian business community in a bid to boost Pak-Brazil trade and attract investment in Pakistan. This was stated by Director General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Sohail Ahmed Khan on Wednesday in a conference on Pak-Brazil relations.
The conference was jointly organised by the Embassy of Brazil and Islamabad Policy Research Institute. Nawabzada Malik Amad Khan, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs was the chief guest. To a question, Dr Sohail replied that Ministry of Foreign Affairs agreed with the proposal of granting five-year visa to business community of Brazil and summary was moved to Ministry of Interior to formulate modalities in this connection. The proposal of longer stay of Brazilian businessmen in Pakistan was moved by Government of Brazil three years back. Government of Brazil had repeatedly written to Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan that Pakistan business community can enjoy five-year multiple visa for Brazil on reciprocal basis.
The DG confidently assured that soon Brazilian business community would enjoy longer stay in Pakistan. Both countries would soon move letters of exchange to give the proposal an official shape, he added. Dr Sohail also emphasised institutionalised co-operation. He mentioned the co-operation in the field of defence supplies particularly for Pakistan Air force and Navy.
Ambassador of Brazil in Pakistan, Alfredo Leoni, who has played a proactive role in development of economic, trade and cultural relations between his country and Pakistan said that nine bilateral agreements had been signed between the two countries and a number of others are being negotiated that cover political, economic, cultural, scientific and technological endeavours, as well as defence.
He also announced that a high-level delegation of Brazilian experts would land in Islamabad on four-day visit and share Brazilian expertise in food security. He specially mentioned the newly opened education project under which placements were being offered to Pakistani students to study in top class universities of Brazil. The conference on Pak-Brazil relations focused on development of soft power, sustained macro-economic stability and conflict-free environment as key to progress in the contemporary world. Pakistan had lessons to learn from Brazil in this respect which has pursued this course during the last two decades and has emerged as the leading nation of South America.
Eminent industrialist Dr Kamal Monnoo, in his speech mentioned a 2008 report of the Commission on Growth and Development which identified five main characteristics of high growth countries: (1), engagement with global economy, importing technology and knowledge and exporting goods to the global market; (2), stable and predictable macroeconomic policies; (3), high saving and investment rates; (4), a well managed market system that provided proper price signals and relatively clear property rights; and (5), strong political foundations.
He said Brazil had shown what a country could do and Pakistan need to learn from its economic soft model. In his detailed presentation on trade and investment co-operation between Brazil and Pakistan, Jamil Ahmad, Chairman Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce trade delegation, recommended ethanol production, renewable energy, hybrid seed production, bio fuels, flex fuel technology for co-operation between the two countries.
Dr Maqsudul Hassan Nuri, Acting President IPRI, in his remarks emphasised the use of soft power and pursuit of peaceful diplomacy as the force behind great strides Brazil had made in the last two decades. He called for co-operation in research through closer ties between think tanks of the two countries.