July 16, 2002	Tuesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 5, 1423

KARACHI, July 15: Minister of state and chairman Export Promotion Bureau Tariq Ikram on Monday suggested that Pakistan-Russia business forum should be set-up for the promotion of trade between the two countries.

In a meeting with a delegation from Russian Federation led by its consul general Valdimir P Mikhaylov, the EPB chairman said such arrangements with other countries had helped in promoting trade.

Tariq Ikram said EPB has created Afghan and Iraq cell to cater to the need of exporters and importers, providing information on trade opportunities in both the countries.

He invited Russian companies to organize exhibition in the Expo Centre, Karachi to introduce their products on the pattern of Turkish companies.

To begin with, he said a seminar on Russian market and products can be held in Karachi and Moscow to exchange commercial intelligence and general trade information, economic policies and trade mechanism.

In information technology sector, he said Pakistan has an edge in this region as “we have cheap labour, fairly good technical know-how and command over English language.” Keeping in view these facts, he said, both the Russian and Pakistani companies can work on economy of scales.

The Russian consul general was optimistic about having closer trade relations between both the countries and said obstacles of the past are over and there is an open road in front of both the countries to move forward in all fields including intellectual and material cooperation to benefit from their own commercial and industrial strengths at micro and macro levels.