ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser said on Monday that Pakistan gives its friendly ties with Korea immense importance and wants to expand bilateral relations through greater cooperation in trade and investment.

He said there are vast opportunities for investment in agriculture and tourism in Pakistan, and Korean investors can benefit from these.

Mr Qaiser was speaking with Cho Bae-sook, a Korean parliamentarian and convenor of the Korea-Pak friendship group who called on him along with a parliamentary delegation at Parliament House.

According to a press release, matters pertaining to bilateral relations and mutual interest were discussed at the meeting.

The speaker said people-to-people contact could bring both nations closer, and was of the view that a regular exchange of parliamentary delegations would promote harmony and cooperation.

He added that the government was paying special attention to developing the agriculture sector. Korea and Pakistan could benefit from each other’s experiences in the agriculture sector, he said, and Pakistan wants to increase cooperation with Korea to develop this sector.

He also emphasised the need to provide every possible facility to Pakistani workers in Korea.

He said the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was a game-changing project that would create job opportunities in the region and usher in a new era of development and prosperity. He invited Korean investors to invest in CPEC projects.

Ms Cho said Korea values its cordial relations with Pakistan highly, and desires greater cooperation with Pakistan on tourism and other social and economic sectors. She said Pakistan could benefit from promoting religious tourism.

She said that rehabilitating the site of the Gandhara civilisation could boost tourism in Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2019