ISLAMABAD: Commerce Minister Khurram Dastagir said on Thursday that the government was looking towards the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and Central Asian Republics (CARs) to open up new avenues for boosting trade.

During a meeting with Dr Shamshad Akhtar, Executive Secretary of the UN’s Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Dastagir said that the conclusion of Pak-US Business Opportunities Conference, successful Trade Policy Review by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and stable rating by Moody’s depicted that the country’s economy was improving.

The government was also all set to expand and further strengthen trade ties with Afghanistan and CARs, he said.

The recent commitment of both the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan had injected a new hope that CASA-1000 and TAPI projects would materialise soon, bringing further economic prosperity and trade integration in the region. “The time has come to penetrate into Asean markets as well,” the minister reiterated.

Ms Akhtar appreciated the efforts of the Ministry of Commerce and offered her full support for endeavours related to sustainable development, trade and investment, social development and disaster risk reduction.

Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2015

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