UAE envoy pledges to bolster ties with Pakistan

January 24, 2012
ISLAMABAD: : UAE Ambassador Eissa Abdullah Al-Basha Al-Noaimi said Monday Pak-UAE relations would be taken to the new heights as the leaders of the two brotherly counties are showing keen interest in this.
Federal Minister for Commerce Makhdoom Amin Fahim has said that the trade and business ties of both the countries are satisfactory but the scope of enhancing them does exist and the leadership of the two countries is sincerely trying to expand the same.
They were addressing the gathering of representatives, CEOs, directors of the UAE investment companies and joint venture investing corporations in Pakistan here Monday evening. The meeting provided the two countries officials’ rare opportunity to interact with each other.
Ambassador Eissa Al-Noaimi told the guests that current bilateral trade between the two countries is US $7.6 billion while 27 companies of Pakistan and UAE are working in joint venture. The volume of the business in joint venture is US $21 billion. The UAE firmly believes in the principles of importance of strengthening economic coordination with Pakistan as the later presents suitable environment ready for investment. The fruit of this interest was holding the conference on ‘promotion investment in Pakistan’ in March 2010. The ‘UAE Expo Magnificent 7’ held in Karachi and it was honoured and inaugurated by Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani while the UAE delegation was led by Sheikha Luba Bint Khalid Al-Qasmi, the UAE foreign trade minister.
Ambassador Al-Noaimi recounted that the UAE investment covers all sectors such as aviation, navigation, banks, real estate and energy. In aviation sector, it extends its facilities to different cities in Pakistan to serve the passengers and for cargo. This also applies to the navigation sector. The banking sector actively contributes in developing Pakistani society while the real estate and energy sectors have effective role also.
All those sectors serve the human and economic development in the brotherly country Pakistan. “We might not exaggerate if we describe this relationship as model one, thanks to its solid foundation and due to its divaricating so that to cover different fields and according to agreements and memorandums of understanding which are looked by joint commission headed by both foreign ministers of the two countries. We consider the meeting of the businessmen and officials of both countries would furnish common ground to discover more investment opportunities and to discuss investment related topics,” the ambassador said.
Ambassador Eissa Al-Noaimi said the distinguished relationship and the contacts among the officials of the two countries and the diplomatic delegations here and the UAE are fully ready to solve any issue which might be faced by the companies and investors and if such matters occurred then it would be a natural issue usually happens during investment in countries. “One of my goals that I would be contributing during next stage to establish joint committee especially for businessmen of both the countries. The history of relationship among the businessmen is spread over decades due to religious, geographical, cultural connections and mutual interests in this excellent relationship,” Ambassador Al-Bash Al-Noaimi added.
The ambassador said the UAE leadership including President Khalifa Zayed Al-Nahyan, Prime Minister Muhammad Rashid Al-Maktoum, and Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Nahyan are taking personal interest in enhancing ties with Pakistan in all spheres. A documentary was also shown on the occasion that depicted the marvelous all-round development of the UAE. The U-fone chief executive Abdul Aziz Khan, honorary counsel of the UAE in Lahore Chaudhry Munir Ahmad were also present on the occasion.