ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi has emphasized the need for accelerated engagements and cooperation with Norway in diverse sectors including trade, business, investment, green energy, education, skill development, defence and exports of Pakistan’s cost-effective but highly prized fruit and vegetables.

The president made these remarks while talking to Pakistan’s Ambassador-designate to Norway Saadia Altaf Qazi, who called on him, at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Friday.

The president said there was a need to substantially enhance bilateral trade from its existing volume of $128.404 million which did not represent the true potential by promoting exports of traditional and non-traditional products and services to the rich and affluent market of Norway.

He advised the ambassador-designate to proactively engage and interact with Pakistani expatriates, provide them proactive counsellor services and through their platforms not only promote bilateral trade and investment but also take meaningful steps for increasing people-to-people contacts and promotion of Pakistan’s rich, diverse, social and cultural values and tourism opportunities.

He advised the ambassador to explore meaningful and doable opportunities and venues for bilateral cooperation in the field of academia, scientific, industrial research and development and collaboration between the counterpart universities and Institutes of the two countries. Efforts should also be made for including Pakistan in Norway’s list of prioritised countries for enhancing education cooperation under its Panorama Strategy 2021-2027, he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022