KARACHI: European Union Ambassador to Pakistan Jean Francois Cautain on Thursday disclosed that the EU is planning to enter into a five-year strategic partnership with Pakistan.

In a meeting with the members of the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma), the ambassador stated the current relationship between the EU and Pakistan has reached a mature level and needs to be strengthened further.

He also appreciated the efforts of the government to fight terrorism and assured his full cooperation in portraying the soft image of Pakistan in EU countries.

Speaking on the occasion, Aptma Senior Vice Chairman Zahid Mazhar requested Mr Cautain to encourage the owners of big brands in the EU to divert their bulk buying to Pakistan because it is ideally placed for the production of high-quality textile goods at competitive prices.

He also sought the ambassador’s support for encouraging the EU business community to increase investments in the textile sector of Pakistan in general and technical textiles in particular through joint ventures.

After the improvement in law and order in Pakistan, Mr Mazhar said the EU should remove the travel advisory. The Aptma official stated that the textile industry is fully meeting the 27 UN conventions related to the Generalised System of Preference Plus.

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2016