ISLAMABAD: Indonesian Ambassador Adam M. Tugio on Thursday encouraged Pakistani business community to visit and personally observe potential for trade and investment in his country and offered them full support from his embassy.

The invitation came during his visit to the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) where he met the acting chamber president Faad Waheed and executive members.

The meeting discussed ways to explore new avenues of collaboration between the Indonesian and Pakistani business communities for mutually beneficial trade transactions.

Ambassador Tugio said Indonesia and Pakistan shared a rich history of friendship and mutual cooperation and the visit by the ICCI would further strengthen relations between the two countries.

The ambassador emphasised the significance of utilising the existing Indonesia-Pakistan Preferential Trade Agreement and working towards establishing a free trade agreement between the two countries.

The envoy also highlighted the importance of Asean market and stated that Indonesia offered an ideal platform for Pakistani businesses to access Asean market of over 650 million consumers due to its strategic location and well-established trade and investment ties within the region.

“We are eager to showcase the tremendous investment opportunities Indonesia has to offer and I am confident that the visit to Jakarta will result in significant trade and investment deals between business communities of both nations,” he said.

He said there was a strong opportunity for the two countries to build a mutually beneficial trade relationship by exploring complementary sectors.

“Surgical equipment, spices, garments, textiles and traditional herbal medicines have the potential to drive trade between Indonesia and Pakistan and bring economic benefits to both sides,” he added.

He also mentioned the interest of the business community of Indonesia in investing in special economic zones in Pakistan. He stated that the Indonesian embassy was fully prepared to facilitate business-to-business meetings between the Pakistani business community and their counterparts in Indonesia.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2023