A moot to forge closer Pak-US businesses bonds begins Thursday

NEW YORK: A major conference aimed at building business-to-business linkages between U.S. and Pakistani businesses and to generate networking opportunities for them will get underway in New York on Thursday.

The first to be held in the United States, the two-day U.S.-Pakistan Business Opportunities Conference (June 2-3) is the fourth in a series. The previous conferences took place in London, Dubai and Islamabad.

Officials said that 2016 conference will highlight business opportunities for U.S. and Pakistani businesses, with particular focus on fashion apparel, health care, information communication technology, and agriculture. It will bring together over 250 industry representatives, investors, and government leaders from the two countries and will feature emerging professionals and entrepreneurs Pakistan’s delegation will be led by Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan, and will also include Ambassador to the United States Jalil Abbas Jilani.

The U.S. delegation will be led by Bruce Andrews, Deputy Secretary of Commerce and will include Fred Hochberg, Chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States;

Ambassador Richard Olson, U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan; Larry Sampler, USAID Assistant to the Administrator for Afghanistan and Pakistan; and Ziad Haider, U.S. Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs.

Vice Chairman of General Electric John Rice will also deliver a keynote speech.

Conference official said the Business Opportunities Conference is another sign of the growing cooperation between the two economies.