RAWALPINDI: The US department of Commerce is organising a Pakistan-Afghanistan women entrepreneurs conference in Islamabad in March.

More than 25 Afghan businesswomen will participate in the conference. The event will provide an opportunity to Pakistani women entrepreneurs to have direct contact with their Pakistani counterparts and enhance bilateral trade.

This was stated by a US embassy delegation at a meeting with the business community of Potohar Region during its visit to Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) on Friday.

The delegation included US commercial counselor Cheryl Dukelow, economic officer Konstantin Dubrovsky and country director US-Pakistan Women’s Council Kimberlee LeBlanc.

The meeting discussed the agenda of the conference which. The RCCI president, Syed Asad Mashadi, Vice President Saboor Malik, Executive Members Saadia Waseem and Farrah Javed, Educationist Khadija Mushtaq and other businesswomen were also present on the occasion.

Kimberlee LeBlanc and Megan Mcmillan sought help of the local business community to motivate local women entrepreneurs to participate in the conference.

They also appreciated the role of RCCI in promoting women in businesses and hailed the establishment of businesswomen incubation centre by the chamber.

Speaking on the occasion President RCCI Syed Asad Mashadi said the RCCI had arranged successful events in collaboration with USAID in past and has a strong working relation with the US Embassy.

He assured the delegates that women entrepreneurs would actively participate in the conference as the chamber was itself striving hard to promote bilateral trade with Afghanistan.

He said that the RCCI was going to organise two Made-in-Pakistan Expos in Kabul and Mizar Sharif in April 2015.

He said the RCCI had already organised two expos in Kabul.

He also invited the US delegates to invite Afghan businessmen to participate in the Expo and display their products to further strengthen bilateral relations.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2014