Pakistan, S Korea likely to work on FTA

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and South Korea are likely to agree on commencing the feasibility study on Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries.
Pakistan’s Minister for Commerce Engr. Khurram Dastgir Khan, who is currently visiting South Korea, would be meeting today (Wednesday) with his counterpart Yoon Sang-jick, Minister of Trade, Industry & Energy, in which the entire gamut of economic relations between the two countries would be discussed including the commencing of feasibility study on FTA.
Khurram Dastgir during his two-day official visit to South Korea had back to back meetings with chairmen and presidents of Korean trade organisations and Korean conglomerates including executive vice chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), chairman of Korea Importers Association (KOIMA), director of Asia-Pacific, Africa & Middle East Group and director of Overseas Policy Coordination Team of Hyundai Motor Group, CEO of ECOONE, chairman of Lotte Group, chairman & CEO of Korean Air and chairman & president of Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-sure). Moon Jae-do, Vice Minister of Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of Korea (MOTIE) also called on the commerce minister.
In these meetings the minister gave an exhaustive briefing to his interlocutors informing them that the government of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif had successfully dealt with two main challenges of terrorism and energy crisis and Pakistan was now open for business.
The minister underlined the government’s far reaching measures of regional connectivity especially through China-Pak Economic Corridor and the tremendous business opportunities it was creating for foreign businesses of which Korea could also take advantage. Korean corporate and business leaders deeply appreciated and thanked the minister for briefing them and expressed keen interest in boosting trade and investment ties with Pakistan.