Ambassadors and representatives of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) have agreed, in principle, to enhance trade ties between Asean and Pakistan, and observed that Faisalabad trade community will play its pivotal role in this direction.
The head of Asean's ambassadors and representatives in Pakistan, Nguyen Quang Thuc, ambassador of Vietnam said that the Asean countries and Pakistan have old and strong relations, but there is urgent need to promote this relationship in best interest of all countries.
Earlier presenting welcome address, the President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Khuwaja Asem Khurshid said that Asean is influential economic bloc because of its two main features. First, the coherence with which the member countries have integrated themselves into this regional economic body.
Second, the powerful lobbying it has been making for the economic interest of its members with regional and global organisations like the European Union (EU) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO), he added.
He said that Asean is the fourth largest trader after the United States, the European Union and Japan. Whereas Major exports from Pakistan to Asean member countries consist of cotton yarn and woven fabrics, rice, fish, made up textile articles, article of apparels, man-made filament and yarns, surgical instruments, leather and leather manufactures, oil seeds, fruits and nuts etc.