KARACHI, Feb 7: The leader of ten-member UK trade mission David Frost said on Monday that his delegation members who mostly belong to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are keen to enter into closer trade relations with their Pakistani counterparts.

The British trade mission who is on a week long (Feb 5-11) visit will hold meetings with various trade bodies and try to have close and active business relations with their counterparts.

The mission visit which has been organized by Birmingham Chamber of Commerce is horizontally formed and has diverse trade interest including arts, gifts and crafts, computers and human resource development.

Mr Frost said that the mission members would like to enter into joint ventures, and will try to develop trade relations which are not clicked with the blink of the eye but need a lot of time and could only mature once personal relations between the two sides are also developed.

He said that trade missions are supported by the UK government and for that reason much of the support is given to SMEs which do not have sufficient funds to develop trade relations. Even today, he said 70 per cent of UK's industry comprises SMEs.

Briefing newsmen at British Deputy High Commission, the mission leader said that he did not find any thing alarming or abnormal in the streets of the city rather found people to be friendly and kind. David Frost said that to some extent the law and order situation or terrorism has become a world-wide phenomenon and slightly varies to each country.

He said UK government supports trade missions which wanted to explore vast markets and also have growth potentials so that not only trade but cultural relations are also developed.

Hamish Daniel, British Deputy High Commissioner and Director for Trade and Investment said that "this is the fifth delegation visiting Pakistan since September 2004. For Expo Pakistan, he said two separate delegations from the Glasgow City Council and the Pakistan Britain Trade and Investment visited the country. This reflects the continued interest by British businesses in the Pakistan market."

He said, "the visiting companies are active in a variety of businesses ranging from baby accessories, gift items, education and IT training, security services, export consultancy, financial product, machine tools and the promotion of performing arts."

Responding to a question, Hamish Daniel said that the UK's travel advisory to Pakistan is soft and "we do not ask people not to visit Pakistan but only tell them to be cautious." He said that Expo 2005 was a success as over 1000 people from around the world visited the fair.

"We know and recognise some genuine difficulties were faced by the organizers of the Expo 2005, but it was a normal and routine nature of difficulties most of the organisers of such big event confront," he added.

He said that if there had been no confidence or fear about law and order situation there would not have successive visits by five trade missions from UK during last six months.

Bilateral trade between Britain and Pakistan is now 850 million pounds. The trend is positive and in January-September 2004, British companies exported goods worth 234 million pound showing a growth of 9.6 per cent over the same period last year whereas Pakistani companies exported products worth 423 million pound, 6.3 per cent higher as compared with the same period in 2003.