Norwegian Ambassador to Pakistan Robert Kvile has said Norway and Pakistan enjoy very cordial relations and these ties will further strengthen with the passage of time. Speaking to the members of the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) here, he said efforts were being made to promote trade between the two countries.
The Norwegian Ambassador told the members that his country was considering investing in energy sector in Pakistan. He stressed the need for enhancing the volume of export of surgical instruments from the existing level of around 7,00,000 dollars. Norway had invested two billion dollars in telecom sector and there were wide opportunities of expanding co-operation in other sectors in Pakistan, he said.
The Ambassador further said Norway was considering starting garment production in Pakistan and work on this project would be initiated in near future. SCCI President Muhammad Ishaq Butt, in his welcome address, said there was huge scope to set up joint ventures and for business co-operation between Sialkot based companies and Norway, especially in the fields of sports goods, surgical instruments, leather products and information technology.
Butt said besides liberal investment policy, equal treatment was given to local and foreign investors and all the economic sectors were open to Foreign Direct Investment, and foreign equity was allowed up to 100 percent.
The SCCI President lauded that Pakistan and Norway had started the project of Norway-Pakistan-Partnership initiative (NPPI), being the single largest ongoing development project between the two countries. The project focused on 10 districts of Sindh to improve health and wellbeing of mother and child, he said, adding that hopefully this initiative would be extended to other parts of the country to help reduce mother and child mortality rate.