By Our Correspondent
KARACHI: Atif Ikram Sheikh, President FPCCI; President ECO-CCI and VP CACCI, has apprised that the Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan, H.E. Mr. Raimundas Karoblis, accompanied by senior officials, visited the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) and held extensive discussions with the business leadership on further strengthening Pakistan-EU economic relations.
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Mr. Atif Ikram Sheikh informed that Pakistan and the European Union, celebrating over 60 years of strong diplomatic and economic ties, are hosting the first high-profile European Union-Pakistan Business Forum (EU-PKBF) on 28–29 April 2026 in Islamabad.
Mr. Atif Ikram Sheikh highlighted that this landmark event, supported by the EU, its member states, and the Government of Pakistan, aims to facilitate high-level dialogue, empower partnerships and unlock opportunities for businesses in both regions. The event is expected to be opened by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.
Mr. Atif Ikram Shaikh has said in his message that the EU remains one of Pakistan’s most important trading partners and the continued validity of GSP Plus status has been instrumental in boosting our exports. We are grateful to the EU for its support and look forward to working closely to meet all 27 international conventions for the next cycle. FPCCI is fully committed to facilitating European investors and joint ventures in diverse sectors including renewable energy, IT, textiles value-addition, agriculture processing and logistics.
H.E. Mr. Raimundas Karoblis, Ambassador of the EU in Pakistan, appreciated the pivotal role played by FPCCI as the apex body of trade and industry in Pakistan and underlined the EU’s commitment to further deepen economic ties. Pakistan is a very important partner for the European Union. We highly value the constructive engagement with FPCCI and the Pakistani private sector. The EU will continue supporting Pakistan’s sustainable economic growth, particularly through the GSP Plus scheme, social & environmental initiatives and enhanced people-to-people contacts.
Mr. Asif Inam, VP FPCCI, said that today’s visit reflects the strong trust and mutual confidence between Pakistan’s private sector and the European Union. We have assured the Ambassador of the business community’s complete support in enhancing bilateral trade volume, which has already crossed €12 billion, and in attracting more FDI from EU member states. FPCCI will act as a bridge to resolve any issues faced by European companies operating in Pakistan.
Mr. Zubair Baweja, Head of FPCCI’s Pak-EU Desk, stressed that this engagement underscores the vital role of the Pak-EU Desk in fostering direct business linkages. We are eager to collaborate with Ambassador Karoblis on targeted initiatives to leverage GSP Plus opportunities, promote sustainable supply chains, and facilitate market access for Pakistani exporters in key EU sectors like green technologies and value-added manufacturing.
Brig Iftikhar Opel, SI (M), Retd.
Secretary General
