Kyrgyz Markets Are Open For Pakistani Traders: Ambassador

LAHORE, NOV 2020 - Ambassador of Kyrgyz Republic to Pakistan, Erik Beishembiev said on Monday that Pakistani industrialists could exports their goods via Kyrgyzstan to Europe and other western markets.

Erik Beishembiev offered the Pakistani traders and investors to use Kyrgyzstani markets for exporting their goods directly to Europe and other countries.

Addressing to the RoundTable Conference convened by Lahore Center for Peace Research, H.E Erik Beishembiev said that Kyrgyzstan was dynamically developing and foreign investors were widely presented. Investment in Kyrgyz republic was easy and profitable. 

Kyrgyzstan was now focused on its high quality and environmental friendly agricultural products, organic vegetable and fruits, meat, dairy products and honey. He said that for several years, Kyrgyzstan had been successfully exporting Kyrgyz honey to Europe and Arab countries.

The Kyrgyz Ambassador said that Kyrgyzstan attached great importance to the development of economic cooperation visa to Pakistan in order to promote greater economic relation between both countries.

Kyrgyzstan was interesting in cooperating Pakistan to handle energy crisis and wanted to implement the great Central Asia-South Asia power project CASA-1000, he added.

Erik Beishembiev emphasized on the renewal of transport deals within Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan for multilateral agreement on transit transports between Pakistan, China, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan as a part of CPEC. "This will bring our countries more closer," he said.

He said that bilateral trade and economic cooperation between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan was currently low. "Current volume of trade between two countries is 4 billion Dollars and Pakistan's investment in Kyrgyzstan is about 3.5 billion dollars," he said and reiterated that priority areas for economic cooperation between both countries included medicine and pharmaceutical sector, electricity production and supplying, mining, food, textile and IT industry. 

He said that both countries needed to intensify people to people contacts and spread more information about both cultures. Lack of direct air and road transport between both countries was also a hurdle for economic cooperation between both countries, he said.

Talking to the Conference, former ambassador, foreign secretary of Pakistan and Chairman Lahore Center for Peace Research Institute, Shamshad Ahmad Khan said that Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan enjoyed not only a common history but enjoyed cordial relations and had exchanged frequent high level visits since 1991.

He emphasized that present trade volume was not at par with the tremendous trade potential of the two countries and the whole region of central Asia. The trade volume between two countries was just 4 million dollars right now. Former foreign secretary of Pakistan said that since the beginning of Pak Kyrgyz relations, both countries had signed over 35 MOUs, but in practice concrete steps were not taken by both sides. 

Trade and economic relation was one area that both countries should focus and make the MOUs working, said Shamshad Khan.

The chairman of Lahore Center for Peace Research said that besides several other international bodies Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan were also partners in ECO and Shinghai Cooperation Organization. Both countries had tremendous potential to work together and building a common future of progress and prosperity.

Convener of the Roundtable conference Executive Director LCPR Nazir Hussain informed the participants that Lahore Centre for Peace Research was planning a conference in Bishkek later this month on regional connectivity in the back drop of the launch of Belt and the Road initiative and CPEC. This initiative would provide opportunities to reach the whole central Asia, said Shamshad Ahmad Khan.

Later on talking to the conference, Chairman TEVTA Ali Salman Siddiqui said that Pakistan had a very rich skillful manpower which could be helpful in bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

Dr Hasnain Javed, Advisor to the government of Pakistan Ministry of Industries and Production, said that travel and exploration between both countries would benefit mutually.

General Manager Operations TDCP Asim Raza said that Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan both had a huge potential in tourism and focus on the tourism opportunities to be opened between both countries as an effort to grow mutual economic relations.

Arch Bishop of Lahore Francis Shaw said that Pakistani government was promoting the religious tourism, both Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan must focus in this area. He emphasized about the student exchange programmes between the two countries.

The conference was also attended by various segments of the society including the representatives of government and private organizations, women chambers, Pakistan youth council, media and others.

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