Spain can be profitable market for Sialkot-made leather products: envoy

SIALKOT: Spanish Ambassador Manuel Duran Gimenez-Rico has said that Spain and Pakistan have been enjoying quite warm and cordial relations since long, but the countries need to work hard to enhance bilateral trade.

Addressing industrialists and exporters at the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) here on Wednesday, he said that volume of the bilateral trade needed to be improved as currently it was far below the actual potential of the business communities of both countries. He said that the promotion of business-to-business relations and launching of joint ventures between both countries could play a vital role in enhancing the bilateral trade. He invited the local exporters to come forward and explore the markets of Spain and further opined that Spain could be proved a profitable market for the Sialkot-made leather products.

He said that strengthening of the trade ties between Spain and Pakistan was his prime objective. He further added that he along with staff of the Spanish embassy was always there to help guide those interested in doing business with Spain. He highly appreciated the creative, innovative and hardworking spirit of the Sialkot-based industrialists and exporters.

The ambassador said that he would help in portraying a positive image of Pakistan and further stated that steps to improve schooling of the children and empower women were good measures recently taken by Pakistan.

Earlier, in his welcome address, SCCI president Khawaja Masood Akhtar expressed concern over the low volume of bilateral trade, which was confined to a few products. He opined that promotion of the joint ventures between the private sectors of both countries could play a positive role in enhancement of the bilateral trade.

He also welcomed the Spanish companies to come and invest in Pakistan and avail the benefit of cheap local labour. He hoped that the Commercial Section of the Spanish Embassy would help and cooperate in this connection. SCCI senior vice-president Malik Waqas Akram, vice-president Amir Hameed Bhatti, general secretary Tariq Mehmood Malik, Asim Shafique Sulehria, Khurram Azeem Khan, Tariq Soni, M Ibrahim, M Waseem, Rana Naseer Ahmed, Malik Naseer Ahmed, Majid Raza Bhutta and others were also present on the occasion.