ISLAMABAD, Jan 19: Pakistan and the United States have expressed satisfaction over trade volumes and hoped that the flow of US FDI into Pakistan would increase during coming years.

In a meeting with Privatization and Investment Minister Dr Hafiz Shaikh here on Monday, Managing Director of the US Chamber of Commerce for South Asia, Dr Herbert Davis said the US chamber would extend full support to promote American investment in Pakistan. Esperenza Gomes, Executive Director of US-Pakistan Business Council accompanied Dr Davis in the meeting, says an official statement.

Dr Davis assured the US chamber's cooperation to the minister for arranging roadshows and investment seminars in the US. He also promised support for establishing the tele-conference facilities in Pakistan.

Later in his meeting with Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan, Dr Davis was briefed on the mutual benefits of a free-trade agreement between Pakistan and the United States.

Mr Khan said Pakistan was a safe country for foreign investment and the foreign investors should have no apprehensions while travelling in Pakistan and that reality was opposite to the perception in this regard.

He said the signing of Safta among Saarc-member countries was a big achievement that would further contribute to enhance trade ties in the region. The minister emphasized that the primary objective of the establishment of American Business Council for Pakistan and its affiliation with the US Chamber of Commerce was to give Pakistan its rightful place in the US business community.

Mr Khan welcomed the growing interest of American firms for investment in Pakistan in the aftermath of structural reforms that had built Pakistan's credibility restoring confidence in international investors.

Dr Davis said the US Chamber of Commerce fully supported the FTA between the US and Pakistan. He said that so many US companies were showing interest in investing their capital in IT, telecommunication, energy, food and beverages and aviation sectors. He said that there was a great scope for joint ventures between the US and Pakistan business community.