Netherlands wanted to increase trade on equality bases with Pakistan, said Robert Dresen, First Secretary, and Head of Economic Affairs at the Embassy of Netherlands in Islamabad. Speaking at a meeting of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), he said, "Pakistan needs trade not aid and it is also a focus of the Netherlands government to increase bilateral trade with Pakistan to support its economy," he added.
Dresen said the Netherlands was amongst the top 20 economies of the world in terms of gross domestic product, which is four times the size of Pakistan with a population roughly the size of Karachi. The Netherlands has had bilateral ties with Pakistan for over 50 years span current bilateral trade at approximately 750 to 800 million dollars annually. He pointed out that Netherlands is the fifth largest exporter of the world in which Pakistan share in only 0.2 per cent which is negligible.
He said that Netherlands wants to keep present trade intact and include many new areas including shipping, ports development, water purification, dairy farming, agriculture, wind, bio gas energy, solar, coal energy sectors etc. He further said that Netherlands have expertise in energy saving and can help Pakistan in this sector. Energy saving is a very big business, he added.
He said that Netherlands also have expertise in water sector and added that the options of joint ventures deem very bright for investors in water and sanitation sector. Pakistan's major exports to the Netherlands include textiles, while there was a huge potential for imports in the areas of livestock and agriculture, he said, adding that being the second largest exporter of agriculture products in the world, Pakistan could get major benefits if it was provided level-playing field.
He said, adding that the two countries could explore mutual co-operation in the areas of alternative energy, bringing efficiency in the energy sector, solar energy, water and many others. Dresen said that the Netherlands is pursuing free and open economy and there is a huge potential to boost business-to-business (B2B) ties between private sectors of the two countries. Replying a question, he said we want to make Pakistan self-sufficient in dairy forming sector Pakistan import milk from that country.
KCCI President, Mohammad Haroon Agar said that business community of Netherlands should visit Pakistan for business and trade. He said that condition of law and order is much better. He said that Pakistan wants to enhance its trade with all the countries of the world.