July 12, 2003	Saturday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 11, 1424

TORONTO, July 11: Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar is due to arrive in Toronto on July 27 to attend a ‘mini ministerial’ conference of World Trade Organization (WTO), according to a Pakistani diplomat here.

The three-day WTO conference is scheduled to begin in Montreal on July 28, said Pakistani Consul General Ghalib Iqbal here Thursday evening.

Talking to newsmen in his office, he said Humayun Akhtar will make a brief stopover in Toronto before proceeding to Montreal.

Ghalib Iqbal said Pakistan’s permanent representative at WTO will also be coming here from Geneva for Montreal conference.

Answering a question the consul general said that Pakistan and Canada are having a two-way annual trade worth over 400 million dollars. “The balance of trade is in Pakistan’s favour,” he said adding: “Islamabad is endeavouring to further boost its trade with Ottawa.”

He said the WTO conference would provide an ample opportunity to Pakistan to identify areas where two-way trade can be enhanced.

He said a number of prominent Canadian industrialists were interested in investing in Pakistan where investment climate was very conducive and favourable.