SIALKOT City News

Balochistan can change Pakistan’s fate: Korean envoy

From Our Correspondent

SIALKOT: Korean Ambassador Dr Song Jong Hwan has said that Pakistan is blessed with a variety of natural resources that could play a vital role in the country’s progress.

Addressing the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) here on Friday, he said that Pakistan had a huge potential to excel forward and thrive as it had the population of about 200 million, which consisted of more than 60 per cent youths and that was the real asset of the country. He said that Balochistan had over US $500 billion resources of copper, besides other natural resources, that could change the country’s fate. He said that he would soon visit Balochistan and have a meeting with the new chief minister as Korea had great interest in exploring and importing copper and other resources found there. The Korean ambassador said that a number of fresh fruit items, particularly mangoes, were famous all over the world, including Korea, for their unique taste. He, however, said that Pakistan must improve techniques to process mangoes to get the benefits of its increased exports. He said that Korea and Pakistan had decades old cordial trade and diplomatic relations. However, there was enough room to further strengthen the mutual ties, he added. He stressed for the increased exchange of trade related information and trade delegations between both the countries for further cementing bilateral trade ties. During the last couple of years, the volume of bilateral trade was decreased and it was his priority to take every possible step that could be proved helpful in increasing the volume of bilateral trade, he added. He said that the visa policy would be further softened for genuine and frequent travellers to Korea. He said that the SCCI was playing a key role in further improving trade ties between Korea and Pakistan.

SCCI senior vice-president Sarfraz Ahmad Butt, Majid Raza Bhutta, Arshad Elahi, Muhammad Waseem, Hamza Majeed Janjua and others were also present on the occasion.