Netherlands, PBIT agree to boost ties

LAHORE: The Netherlands and Punjab Board of Investment & Trade (PBIT) agreed on Monday to boost cooperation in the fields of agriculture, farming, livestock, food production methodologies, drip irrigation and hi-technology.

Ms Ardi Stoios-Braken, Ambassador of Netherlands to Pakistan, visited Punjab Board of Investment & Trade and met PBIT CEO Jahanzeb Burana along with other senior officials. A broad-based discussion was held on avenues of cooperation and increasing capacity of economic cooperation between the two countries.

Matters of interest and promotion of cooperation in various sectors such as agriculture, farming, livestock, food production methodologies, drip irrigation, hi-technology and other social sectors were discussed in the meeting whereas the key sectors for developing investment and JV opportunities in Pakistan were farming, food security, irrigation technologies, dairy and livestock sector.

Burana highlighted the significance of Special Economic Zones in Punjab that provide investors with attractive incentives, state-of-the-art infrastructure and facilities that make Punjab a lucrative market for investors. The participants discussed several ways of exploiting potential of the investment in Pakistan. Specific SEZs for Agri business and establishment of Agri Business Parks were also discussed during the meeting. While addressing the issues of broken value chain in farming and agriculture sectors, Burana said that Punjab government would welcome technical assistance of Netherlands, in the uplift of different sectors in order to benefit from their expertise and hi-tech technology in the related fields.

Ms Ardi Stoios said that a close liaison must be developed between the two countries for mutual benefit hence both the countries need to identify more mutually interesting projects for value addition. She also mentioned an expected upcoming event, “Agriculture Mission” that will surely need the support, coordination and collaboration with the related departments from Punjab and Pakistan.

The promising meeting concluded with the discussion for the future plan of action to increase trade between Pakistan and Netherlands as well as the further processing of the identified sectors and the concerned projects discussed.

PhD awarded: Ms Amna Umer Cheema has completed her PhD in American poetry from the University of Leeds, UK. Her thesis titled “Elizabeth Bishop and the Baroque: A study in spatial constructs”, for the first time, establishes Bishop's relationship with the Baroque. It shows a contemporaneous occurrence of poetry and fine arts in the twentieth century. According to a press release, Amna studied in the UK under Punjab University’s faculty development programme. It may also be added here that the faculty member resuming her incumbency on the teaching faculty has vast pedagogical experience of serving illustrious academics centers.