EU wants to expand trade ties with Pakistan
Dawn | Friday, 22 May, 2009
EU wants to expand trade ties with Pakistan
By Our Reporter
LAHORE: European Commission Ambassador Jan De KOK has said that the European Union was seriously considering on broadening and deepening of its trade relations with Pakistan.
Speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday, the envoy said that for the first time Pakistan-EU Summit was going to take place on June 17, 2009 in Brussels to discuss the issue of trade with Pakistan.
He said that the decision to hold Pakistan-EU summit was taken on Dec 18 last year by the Council of EU Foreign Ministers because before that the trade and trade policy regarding Pakistan was discussed at technocrat and bureaucrat level.
The council had now decided to take up the issue at political level which would definitely go a long way in expanding trade ties between the two sides.
He said that it was a difficult process to win any favour for Pakistan but it was no more a secret that political will at the highest level in Europe was there. There were, however, a number of manufacturing sectors in Europe which did not want any sort of FTA or GSP Plus status for Pakistan under the pretext that Pakistani manufacturers could be more competitive.
He said that EU was among the largest trading partners of Pakistan and presently its 20 per cent of exports were going to Europe and of that about 65 per cent were textile and foot wear.
The European Commission dealt with the trade policy of the European Union and no individual state could speak on the issue of FTA individually. There was, however, a consensus on broadening economic relations with Pakistan in the EU and in EU.
On the issue of assistance to Pakistan, the ambassador said that the EU commitment with Pakistan in terms of assistance was for a longer term. ‘We are very committed and we would continue to extend assistance.’
LCCI President Mian Muzaffar Ali said that European Union should help Pakistan for sustained development through more investment and trade.
Pakistan had always viewed the European Union as a key partner with sound opportunities for trade and investment. The presence of a remarkable number of Pakistanis in Europe gave added strength to the traditional relationship.
The LCCI president reiterated the need for Free Trade Agreement between Pakistan and the European Union saying that by helping Pakistan in trade the European Union would be actually helping itself as well, as it had its own strategic interests in this region.
