ISLAMABAD: The first-ever High-Level EU-Pakistan Business Forum will be held in Islamabad on 14-15 May 2025, the delegation of the European Union to Pakistan announced on Tuesday.
This landmark event, jointly supported by the EU, its Member States, and the Government of Pakistan, aims to facilitate high level dialogue, empower partnerships and unlock opportunities for businesses in both regions. The event will be opened by the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Besides dedicated business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) meetings, engaging discussions, enthusiastic exhibitions, the EU Pakistan Business Forum will also mark the launch of the EU-Pakistan Business Network – which will group together the 300+ European companies active in Pakistan.
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The event will also present the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, its largest investment programme outside of the EU that aims to leverage EUR 300 billion of investments worldwide until 2027.
The EU is the largest single market in the world and the largest destination for Pakistani exports. The EU is also the world’s largest foreign investor representing 42 per cent of outward foreign direct investment globally.
With a rapidly growing market of over 240 million people, competitive labour costs, strategic geographical access to Central and South Asia and a preferential trade access (PTA) to the EU, Pakistan offers immense business opportunities.
To enhance economic cooperation between the EU and Pakistan, the EU-Pakistan Business Forum will bring together high-level policy makers (Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Minister of Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb and Minister of Commerce Jam Kamal Khan), business leaders and CEOs from Pakistan and Europe, financial institutions such as the European Investment Bank, investors and other key stakeholders.
During the two days of the High-Level Business Forum, Pakistan’s potential, innovation and best practices in key sectors (including agri business, energy and renewables, green logistics, pharmaceuticals, IT and textiles) will be showcased. The Forum will foster dialogue between the government and the private sector to improve the regulatory framework and facilitate trade while promoting sustainable business practices. EU Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Riina Kionka remarked that European companies are recognising Pakistan as a potential business destination.
This forum serves as a vital platform to strengthen collaboration between European and Pakistani businesses, deepens bilateral trade, and explores new avenues for economic partnership. It also is an opportunity for Pakistan to benefit from the opportunities of Global Gateway, she added.
The forum marks a crucial step in reinforcing the economic ties between Pakistan and the European Union in the spirit of Stronger Together, paving the way for enhanced collaboration and mutual prosperity. The EU, Pakistan’s second largest trading partner and first export destination, accounted for 15.3 percent of Pakistan’s total trade in 2003, with bilateral trade reaching 11.87 billion Euros.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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