News
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Gilani urges envoys to focus on trade diplomacy* Ambassadors-designate to various countries call on PM
By Tanveer Ahmed
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Wednesday instructed the ambassadors-designate to various countries to focus on trade diplomacy as an important component of their diplomatic assignments.
The Prime Minister’s House, pre-occupied with the political issues unfolding in the recent days, was flooded with diplomatic activities when several foreign and local envoys called on the prime minister. Gilani, busy with issues related to the contempt of court case against him in the apex court as well as the 20th Constitutional Amendment passed unanimously by the National Assembly the other day, met with the diplomats.
The ambassadors-designate of Pakistan to various countries met with the prime minister to discuss their diplomatic assignments. Pakistan’s Ambassador-designate to Indonesia Sanaullah, Ambassador-designate to Bulgaria Jamshaid Iftikhar, Ambassador-designate to Germany Abdul Basit, Ambassador-designate to Tunis Mushtaq Ali Shah, and Ambassador-designate to Ethiopia Ghulam Dastgir called on prime minister at the Prime Minister’s House. Gilani told the diplomats that the countries they were going to held immense potential for Pakistani products and services.
The ambassador-designate to Ethiopia said the country’s GDP growth had been quiet impressive during the last few years and it would be his endeavour to explore opportunities in sugar and textile sectors. The ambassador said he would try to arrange meetings of business houses of the two countries.
The ambassador-designate to Bulgaria said the country of his appointment was gateway to Europe and had strategic importance in trade and defence sectors. The ambassador-designate to Tunisia said that it would be his endeavour to bring the State Bank of Pakistan and the host country’s central bank closer to facilitate trade between the two countries.
Gilani said that Pakistan would like to benefit from Paraguay’s expertise in the field of hydropower generation and expressed hope that the country’s consul general would use his good offices to explore the possibilities of cooperation in this field. The honorary consul general of Kyrgyzstan said that he would persuade the Kyrgyz authorities to negotiate with Pakistan to export its 4000MW surplus electricity to Pakistan to overcome the energy shortage in the country. The prime minister expressed his best wishes and said Pakistan would like to enhance trade with Kyrgyzstan in power generation and other fields.
The meeting with the ambassadors-designate was followed by the foreign diplomats’ meeting with the prime minister. Kyrgyzstan Honorary Consul General Khizer Schon Husain and Paraguay Honorary Consul General Kanwar Tariq called on the prime minister.
The outgoing Ambassador of Nepal, Bala Bahadur Kunwar, paid a farewell call on the prime minister and thanked the government of Pakistan for hospitality extended to him during his stay in Pakistan. The prime minister appreciated the role of the ambassador for strengthening relations between the two countries, hoping that he would continue to do so while working back home.
The prime minister said that Nepal was an important member of SAARC and its role in the organisation was commendable. SAARC would be able to realise its full potential with normalisation of relations among its member states, Gilani observed.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk