News
Gilani arrives in Spain
MADRID: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani arrived here on Tuesday on a two-day official visit with an objective of expanding ties in all spheres and seeking greater market access for Pakistani products in the European market.This is Prime Minister Gilani's first visit to Spain and would focus on raising the existing bilateral trade of around US 600 million to a potentially 2 billion US dollars over the next two years. Spain is the fifth largest European economy and sixth biggest investor in developed world accounting 2 per cent of the world trade.
Gilani's visit has assumed greater significance as Spain currently has the rotating six-month presidency of the 27-member European Union.
The prime minister will be leaving for Brussels on June 2 to attend the second Pak-EU summit.
The prime minister in talks with the Spanish leaders will apprise them about the role the democratic government was playing to strengthen the economy while at the same time serving as a front line state in the war against terror.
Spain, being part of the Nato forces fully acknowledges Pakistan's front line role and is keen to develop cooperation with Pakistan in the areas of defence and security.
Gilani is scheduled to have an audience with the King of Spain King Juan Carlos I, besides meeting Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who will also host a working lunch for him.
Gilani will meet with President of Senate Francisco Javier Rojo Garcia before attending a reception by the Confederation of Employers and Industries of Spain (CEOE).
PM in view of Spain's renewed interest in the Asian market would discuss ways for further expansion in bilateral trade.
Spain has been supportive of Pakistan's initiative to negotiate a free trade agreement with the EU.
Major exports from Pakistan to Spain are textiles (fabric, knitwear, made ups including garments and home textiles), which constitute about 55 percent of our total exports to Spain. These are followed by leather and its products, ethanol, molasses, sports goods, rice, footwear and carpets.
Main imports from Spain in Pakistan include textile and construction machinery, chemicals and products, ceramics, plastic materials, iron and steel, malt products and fruit conserves and pharmaceutical products.
Pakistan and Spain have traditionally enjoyed close and cordial relations characterized by shared perceptions on major global and regional issues.
The earlier high-level bilateral visits from Pakistan included those of Prime Minister Suhrawardy in 1956 and Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 1994.
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif paid a one-day visit in 1992 for EXPO Sevilla while former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz visited Spain to co-chair the UN High Level Panel on System-wide Coherence in 2006, and during the visit also held a bilateral meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister.
The visit by former President Pervez Musharraf to Spain in April 2007 was the first ever visit by a Head of State of Pakistan and two MoUs on cooperation in the fields of tourism, culture, education and science and technology were signed. No visit of head of state, or government level to Pakistan has so far taken place from Spain.
There are around 53,000 Pakistanis with legal status in Spain and large majority are engaged as skilled and unskilled workers in agriculture, construction and housing sectors.
Situated in south-western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, and south-western part of France, Spain has a population of 40 million with almost 77 per cent living in urban areas.
Spain's mixed capitalist economy is the 12th largest in the world, and its per capita income roughly matches that of Germany and France.
Prime Minister Gilani is scheduled to leave for Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the administrative centre of the European Union on Wednesday.
Courtesy www.Geo.tv