Consul General of France, Christian Ramage has informed business community that a high powered leather sector trade delegation from France is scheduled to visit Pakistan in September. Addressing members of Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA), he said it was first ever trade delegation from France visiting Pakistan comprising businessmen exclusively from leather sector.
He said during stay in Pakistan the delegation would visit Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Sialkot and hold business to business meeting with their counterparts in leather sector manufacturers. Ramage further stated that the bilateral trade relations between the two countries were cordial and many French companies had invested in Pakistan and satisfactorily operating here.
He pointed out that balance of trade between the two countries had now gone into favour of Pakistan. Replying to the PTA's diplomatic Affairs Committee's Chairman Gulzar Firoz regarding visa problems being faced by the businessmen in Karachi, he said that visa office of French Consulate General had been shifted to Islamabad a few years back due to security reasons.
He, however, said that arrangements might be available to the businessmen at the German Consulate in Karachi for issuance of Schenegan Visa. Ramage, while praising the quality of Pakistan's leathers goods, said his son had bought a Pakistani leather jacket and found it as one of the best quality jackets available in France.
President Pak-India Chamber of Commerce and Industry, S M Muneer said on the occasion that Pakistan and France were enjoying cordial relations and many French companies were operating in Pakistan but the trade volume between the friendly countries was not significant.
He said France should provide greater trade access to Pakistan. He hoped that France would help Pakistan to get GSP Plus in 2013-end as Pakistan qualifies for the tariff free access to European Union market. PTA Chairman S M Nasim said on the occasion that leathers industry in Pakistan was the second largest export-oriented industry in Pakistan after textiles and over 50 percent leathers units were located in Karachi.
He said that as leather industry was facing a difficult phase in Pakistan EU should provide greater market access to Pakistan. Gulzar Firoz in his welcome address requested the French Diplomat to provide visa processing facility in Karachi as businessmen facing were facing problems due to shifting of visa office if French consulate to Islamabad. He pointed out that businessmen had to spend Rs 50,000 additional due to shifting of visa office. He requested Ramage to help Pakistan in getting GSP (generalised system of preferences) in December 2013.