Farewell lunch at SCCI: Outgoing diplomat vows to help boost Pak-US trade ties

PESHAWAR: The outgoing US Consul General in Peshawar Shante Moore on Monday reaffirmed his country’s commitment toward strengthening bilateral trade, economic and commercial relations with Pakistan.

He was speaking at a farewell luncheon hosted in his honour by the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Chamber’s House .A press release said, the farewell meeting was chaired by SCCI President Fazal Moqeem Khan.

SCCI senior vice president Abdul Jalil Jan, vice president Shehryar Khan, Businessman Forum leader and former FPCCI president Ghazanfar Bilour, former presidents Malik Niaz Ahmad, Fuad Ishaq, Zahid Shinwari, Faiz Mohammad Faizi, Zulfiqar Ali Khan, Riaz Arshad and others attended the event.

The participants praised Shante Moore and hoped his successor would continue collaboration with the business community.The business community commended the current US administration’s policy shift, which prioritized trade with Pakistan.

The SCCI office-bearers said that Pakistan and US enjoyed close diplomatic, economic and trade relations for the last several decades, and now the level of collaboration and friendship between the two countries had entered a new era under the current US administration.

Business community presented a number of proposals to enhance export of Pakistani manufacturing products to the United States markets mainly related to share of advanced technology for development of mines and mineral sectors, efficiently tapping available potential, exchange of business delegations and interactive sessions and removal of hurdles in bilateral trade.

Fazal Moqeem Khan underscored the need for further improvement in Pak-US bilateral trade and economic relations.Shante Moore highlighted the importance of Pak-US diplomatic and economic relations and especially mentioned the major achievements toward boosting the trade and commercial relations between the two countries during his tenure in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“We are committed to enhancing economic and commercial ties with Pakistan,” he added.The US diplomat appreciated the hospitality, culture and the spirit of brotherhood of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and said that people of this region are kind, generous and friendly. Shante Moore acknowledged that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had immense potential to strengthen relations with US and sought assistance of SCCI to pursue US companies to invest in KP.