LAHORE: Pakistan-Nepal Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) provides MFN treatment to both sides as it is aimed at promoting trade and investment in areas of mutual benefit, therefore, businessmen in the two countries should avail this opportunity to enhance volume of two-way trade.

This was stated by Napalese Ambassador Bharat Raj Paudyal during a meeting with business community here at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday.

He said that Nepal-Pakistan Joint Economic Commission (JEC) at the level of finance ministers has been a useful forum for promotion of economic collaboration.

Revived a few months ago, the JEC had opened up avenues of trade exchanges.

In addition, he said, as members to South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA), both the countries have potential to increase trade under regional framework.

The ambassador said that his country was ready to make special bilateral trading arrangements with Pakistan for the sake of economic well-being of both the countries as Nepalese businessmen feel quite comfortable while dealing with their Pakistani counterparts.

Earlier, LCCI President Engineer Sohail Lashari said that the main reason for not using the existing opportunities was lack of knowledge about each other and there was a need to work together to identify possible fields of cooperation.

CZECH AMBASSADOR: The businessmen of Czech Republic are ready to initiate joint ventures with their Pakistani counterparts in engineering and production of power plants sectors which are the strengths of Czech Republic.

Talking to businessmen at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Monday, the ambassador, Miroslav Krenek, said that Pakistan government would have to focus on law and order situation to attract foreign investment, a key to early economic revival of the country having a huge trade and investment potential.