Sada-e-Watan Sydney ™
sadaewatan@gmail.com
High Commissioner Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri
In a Colourful Ceremony Establishment of Pakistan-Fiji Business Council announced
On Tuesday, 23rd August 2022, in a momentous ceremony organized virtually by the High Commission for Pakistan, Canberra, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and the Fiji Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) for the Establishment of Pakistan-Fiji Business Council (PFBC).
This is the
First time
in history that an agreement is signed between Pakistan and Fiji to promote
bilateral trade. As a special gesture of friendship, Fiji’s Minister for
Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport, Mr. Faiyaz Siddiq Koya also attended
the ceremony.
In his remarks, President FPCCI Mr. Irfan Iqbal
Sheikh stated that Pakistan greatly valued the addition of Fiji to the list of
its economic partners and wanted to enhance bilateral trade between the two
countries. President FCCI Dr. Nur Bano Ali stated that she was delighted to be
a part of the historical moment of signing of first ever agreement between
Pakistan and Fiji. She expressed her desire to cooperate closely with the FPCCI
and explore the opportunities of expanding economic cooperation between the two
countries.
Appreciating the efforts of the High Commissioner for Pakistan, Mr. Faiyaz Siddiq Koya described the establishment of PFBC as an important development in bilateral relations between the two countries, particularly in the areas of Commerce and Trade. He mentioned the huge potential to grow trade between Pakistan and Fiji and the signing of MoU had formally kickstarted the process. He hoped that PFBC would create new business opportunities for both Pakistani and Fijian companies and will form a basis of mutually beneficial economic linkages between the two countries.
Speaking on the occasion, High Commissioner
Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri described the signing of MoU a landmark development and
dawn of a new era in the relations between Pakistan and Fiji. The High
Commissioner referred to his visit to Fiji in February this year and his
meetings with the senior Fijian leadership where both sides had expressed the
desire to strengthen cooperation.
Recalling his meeting with Minister for
Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport Mr. Faiyaz Koya, Mr. Chaudhri mentioned
the agreement on the need to enhance trade between the two
countries.
The High Commissioner Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri mentioned that the goodwill and warmth that he had personally witnessed between the people and the Governments of Pakistan and Fiji had helped take the cooperation and engagement between two countries to the next level. He also congratulated both the Chambers of Commerce and Industry on establishment of the PFBC, describing it as the first practical step to establish institutional framework to strengthen economic cooperation. The High Commissioner also mentioned other initiatives that the High Commission was working on in collaboration with relevant departments in Pakistan and Fiji including establishment of Pakistan-Fiji Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC), Bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), and Development Cooperation Framework Agreement (DCFA). He described the cooperation between Pakistan and Fiji as a partnership for peace, development, and prosperity.
