KARACHI: Jagat Abeywarna Consul General of Sri Lanka has assured rice exporters of removal of hurdles in the bilateral trade between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

On the invitation of Chela Ram Kewlani Chairman Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) Jagat Abeywarna Consul General of Sri Lanka with his team visited REAP House on Tuesday.

The said luncheon meeting was also attended by MC Member Asif Ali Shaikh, Salman Paracha, Muzzammil Rauf Chappal, Dr. Muhammad Hafeez, Ex-Chairman Rafique Suleman, Ex-Chairman Abdul Rahim Janoo, Kazim Khandwala, Jawed Jilani, Abdul Rasheed Janmohammad, Sheeraz Ahmed Shaikh, Mahesh Raja Manglani, Faisal Masood Choudhary, Faisal Anis and a large number of leading rice exporters.

Chela Ram in his welcome address expressed that Pakistan maintains extremely friendly and cooperative relations with all rice buying countries. Pakistan has always been a reliable and trustworthy supplier of rice and has played a significant role in food security, he added.

He mentioned that India occasionally imposes restrictions on their rice exports, but Pakistan has never halted its rice exports to its trading partner nations. He hoped that Pakistani rice export trade will achieve historic $4 billion during this fiscal year 2023-24.

He informed that REAP is celebrating Silver Jubilee during this year as REAP was established in 1999 and from 1999 to 2024, ie, 25 years of consistent struggle, dedication, and excellence have been completed.

Consul General of Sri Lanka expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome and said that we will mutually identify the issues and will take necessary steps to resolve the same. “We will take our Sri Lankan Government authorities on board to resolve issues for the benefit of rice exporters from Pakistan to Sri Lanka,” he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024