Lieutenant General Daniel Christman (Retd), Senior Vice President for International Affairs, said that a delegation of the US-Pakistan Business Council (USPBC) and US Chamber of Commerce would undertake a visit of Pakistan in the month of March. During its three-day visit (March 14-16), he stated that "the US business leaders will also meet with President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, besides meeting senior government officials, as well as leading private sector business representatives.
He disclosed this in his welcome remarks at the 'Hi-Tea' held by the US-Pakistan Business Council and US Chamber of Commerce for Ambassador Jehangir Karamat, who was the main speaker on the occasion on Thursday evening.
Those attend the function, included representatives of General Electric (GE), Boeing, Raytheon International Inc, Morgan Stanley, Telnia Corporation, Wal-Mart, Oracle, Synergics Energy Development Inc, Base Technical, Caterpillar, besides Vice President USPBC Herbert Davis, Ms Esperanza Gomez, Executive Director, US-Pakistan Business Council; former congressman James Moody, Torkel L. Patterson, deputy assistant secretary, Bureau of South Asian Affairs, and Peter A. Maier, Pakistan Desk Officer of the State Department (DCM) Mohammad Sadiq, as well as Pakistan Embassy officials of trade, commerce, press and economic division.
Christman highlighted "the centrality of trade and commerce," in the US-Pakistan relations, which were close, co-operative and strategic.
He said it was reassuring to find Jehangir Karamat heading the Pakistan Embassy, who was widely known to scholars and highly respected by noted American people, and certainly will bring the two-side peoples even closer, by furthering this close, fruitful and central relationship.
He said the two nations offer immense business opportunities, and expressed his confidence that a fuller benefit of the obtaining favourable situation would be taken advantageously.
Talking to APP, Adeel Shah of Talnia Corporation, said that a delegation of Pakistani-American investors has recently completed a countrywide visit of Pakistan, and it found immense opportunities for investment in a number of important sectors.
He praised the favourable investment climate and prudent economic policies being pursued in Pakistan and the economic strides the country was making in the wake of continuity and economic reforms.
According to sources, these small, off-the-record meetings provide business representatives with invaluable opportunities to discuss project proposals and policy issues with the top Pakistani decision-makers.
The US-Pakistan Business Council (USPBC) is the leading private sector association of the US companies with business and investment interest in Pakistan.
The United States Chamber of Commerce official launched the USPBC on September 30, 2002 to strengthen the US-Pakistan economic relations on trade and investment issues.
The Council's primary mission is to foster "a greater awareness" of business opportunities in Pakistan and to further increase US foreign direct investment in Pakistan.
A key objective of the Council is to foster a bilateral dialogue between the key business and government decision makers, thus encouraging progressive economic policies in both Pakistan and the United States.
The USPBC also offers information services, including regular sectorial policy updates, periodic meetings with visiting Pakistani dignitaries, and a daily e-mail news service.
A delegation of the US-Pakistan Business Council and US Chamber of Commerce had visited Pakistan last year; and it had held a dinner in honour of visiting President General Pervez Musharraf in New York on September 20, 2004.