LAHORE: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has agreed with the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry that economic diplomacy is direly needed to put economy back on track.

While talking to the LCCI President Mian Nauman Kabir, Senior Vice President Mian Rehman Aziz Chan and Vice President Haris Ateeq at an exclusive meeting held recently, the foreign minister said that the country has made a remarkable progress as far as exclusion of Pakistan from Grey List is concerned.

The LCCI office-bearers also offered Fateha for the grandmother of Bilawal Bhutto.

LCCI President Mian Nauman Kabir said that the chambers should be taken onboard on trade and economic issues. To give a quantum jump to the external trade, Pakistani trade officers posted abroad will have to work actively and should be in close liaison with the foreign office.

“Our moto should be trade, not aid,” the LCCI office-bearers said and added that if the trade will be increased, economy of Pakistan will be stronger.

The LCCI office-bearers sought help of the foreign minister for restoration of flight operations to Europe and other parts of the world. They also urged the minister to play his role to get market access for the Pakistani products.

The LCCI office-bearers congratulated Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto on his successful trips to China and Iran that would definitely help strengthen Pakistan’s trade and economic ties with these countries.

The Foreign Minister said that his visits were the part of high-level exchanges between Pakistan and these countries. He said that his visit to China will contribute towards further fortifying the time-tested all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between Pakistan and China, enhance and deepen CPEC-related engagement, and help in identifying new avenues for bilateral cooperation to the benefit of the two countries and peoples.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022