December 12, 2003	Friday	Shawwal 17, 1424

KARACHI, Dec 11: The bilateral trade between Britain and Pakistan is expected to exceed one billion pounds for the first time this year.

This was stated by visiting British Minister for International Trade and Investment, Mike O’Brien.

He was addressing the members of Karachi Council on Foreign Relations, Economic Affairs and Law, here on Thursday evening.

The Minister pointed out that last year the visible bilateral trade between the two countries was worth some 730 million pounds.

“We exceeded this in the first nine months of 2003 when our trade increased to an impressive 758 million pounds, an increase of almost 14 per cent,” he added.

Mike O’Brien was of the view that if this growth continued for the remaining three months of the year, the trade between Britain and Pakistan will have exceeded one billion pounds for the first time.—APP