By Commerce Reporter
LAHORE, January 24 — President of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry Faheem ur Rehman Saigol, met with First Secretary of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Samir Ahmadli, at the Lahore Chamber. The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral trade, investment, and mutual cooperation between Pakistan and Azerbaijan.
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LCCI Vice President Khurram Lodhi, Executive Committee members Manzoor Hussain Jafri, Asif Khan, Aamna Randhawa, Karamat Ali Awan, former Executive Committee member Zeeshan Sohail, and others were also present.
Speaking on the occasion, LCCI President Faheem ur Rehman Saigol said that Pakistan wants to further strengthen its trade and economic relations with Azerbaijan, and the business community is fully ready to play its role. He stressed the need for institutional cooperation and formal platforms to increase trade volume between the two countries.
Strengthening Trade Relations with Azerbaijan
During the meeting, Samir Ahmadli said that Pakistan and Azerbaijan are brotherly and friendly countries with strong political, tourism, and people-to-people relations. He informed that several direct flights are already operating from Lahore and Islamabad to Azerbaijan, and there is a possibility of starting more flights next month, which will further promote tourism and business links. He added that thousands of Pakistani tourists visit Azerbaijan every year, but bilateral trade remains low and needs to be increased.
The Azerbaijan First Secretary pointed out that the lack of banking channels is a major hurdle in trade. He said discussions are underway to facilitate the presence of Pakistani banks in Azerbaijan, which would greatly help business activities. He also said that besides oil and gas exports, Azerbaijan is now focusing on the non-oil sector, agriculture, small and medium enterprises, and tourism, offering good opportunities for Pakistani investors.
Referring to the reconstruction of liberated areas, Samir Ahmadli said that work is underway on infrastructure, roads, schools, and other development projects, where there are excellent opportunities for foreign investment. He invited Pakistani businessmen to invest in Azerbaijan and emphasized strengthening direct contacts between the private sectors of both countries.
Samir Ahmadli also proposed the establishment of an Azerbaijan Coordination Committee at the Lahore Chamber to effectively promote bilateral trade, investment, and business-to-business relations. Welcoming the proposal, LCCI President Faheem ur Rehman Saigol said that the Lahore Chamber will take practical steps in this regard and will also encourage the exchange of business delegations between Pakistan and Azerbaijan.
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