Sri Lankan HC for enhancing bilateral trade

SIALKOT: Sri Lankan High Commissioner Noordeen Mohamed Shahied has said that there is an ample room to enhance bilateral trade between his country and Pakistan.

Addressing the local industrialists and exporters at the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry here on Tuesday, Noordeen Mohamed Shahied said that his visit to Sialkot was a part of collective efforts to promote bilateral trade between both countries. He said that Sri Lanka had always been a close and reliable friend to Pakistan. He hoped that his visit to Sialkot would prove fruitful in improving the bilateral trade relations. He opined that excessive exchange of trade related information, individuals and institutions could play vital role in quick and considerable boost to the bilateral trade between both countries. He told that he was trying to arrange a single country exhibition in near future to raise awareness in Sri Lanka about Pakistan. He said that he likes Prime Minister Imran Khan, cricketers Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar who had a great respect in entire Sri Lanka. He said that Pakistan was now becoming safe for international cricket and told that he was trying to arrange a friendly cricket match between the cricket team of 1992 world cup winners of Pakistan and 1996 world cup winner of Sri Lanka. SCCI president Khawaja Masood Akhtar said that Sri Lanka was among those few countries where Pakistanis were genuinely loved and respected. He highlighted the key role of local Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) in the progress of export-oriented industrial culture of Sialkot. He termed Sialkot as the best place for the SMEs, which were the main engine to boost any economy.

SCCI ex-president Khawaja Khawar Anwar invited the leading Sri Lankan airlines to start their operations from the Sialkot International Airport.