Mr. Emilian ION, Ambassador of Romania in Pakistan has made these remarks while addressing business leaders at Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI). He exchanged views on common interests and agreed to strengthen bilateral and trade relations between the two countries.
Mr. ION offered help to business community to export their products especially textile, garments, leather and chemical to Romania.
He said that last year Pakistan and Romania celebrated 45 years of diplomatic relations and built oil refinery in Karachi and jointly built two cement plants in Lasbella and Kohat.
The Ambassador said that Romania is the seventh largest European Union Market, adding that it would provide support to Pakistani entrepreneurs to get the benefit of exporting their products to the European Union countries.
He informed that the Pakistan Romania business council has launched a webpage that provides strong linkage for the exchange of business related information. He said that 85 percent of Romanian economy was in the hands of private sector. He offered joint venture in an IT company comprising 60 percent share of Romania and rest of 40 percent from Pakistan.
Mr. Emilian ION proposed that youth of both countries should also be connected. In this connection, youth delegations of both the countries could be helpful in identifying more areas of cooperation to move forward because language was not a barrier for doing business, he added.
In his welcome address, Mahfooz Elahi President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry termed the annual bilateral trade between Romania and Pakistan was very low which is around US$ 150-million and underlined the need to further improve it.
ICCI President said exchange of business delegations could pave way for exploring areas of common interest. He offered ICCI platform for display of Romanian products for promoting trade relations.
Thus, they should come to Pakistan with capital and technology to take advantage of these opportunities.
He said that construction of the monument which was dedicated to national poets of Romania and Pakistan, Mihai Eminescu and Allama Iqbal has brought a new bond of friendship and enhanced cultural relations between Romania and Pakistan.