LAHORE, Aug 1: Pakistan on Thursday offered Sri Lanka to set up tea packing units in Export Processing Zone in Karachi, and sought Lanka’s cooperation and expertise for cultivation of tea and coconut in Pakistan.

In a faxed message received here from Colombo, the president, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI), Iftikhar Ali Malik told members of Sri Lanka Chambers of Commerce and Industry that the two countries can collaborate in areas such as food processing, agro-based and rubber-based industries, textiles and garments, leather products, extraction and processing of mineral sand, precision tools and products, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, electronic products, and tourism and information technology.

He said trade between the two countries is limited to only a few items, and called for diversifying the range of products. He said both Pakistan and Sri Lanka had numerous opportunities to explore for promotion of trade.

The FPCCI president said that single country exhibitions and food festivals would help introduce products and boost trade between the two countries.

Malik said that Sri Lanka can provide necessary expertise to Pakistan for cultivation of tea, which will also benefit Sri Lanka which has no more agricultural land to enhance its tea production.

He said that the reconstruction in Afghanistan offers a unique opportunity to Sri Lankan investors to join hands with their Pakistani counterparts and supply a large number of consumer and other items.

Being Saarc members, Sri Lanka and Pakistan enjoy very cordial relations, while Pakistani businessmen greatly value the Sri Lankan market, evident from the fact that the balance of trade is in favour of Pakistan.

He expressed the hope that the current visit by the delegation led by President General Pervez Musharraf will open up new vistas of cooperation in trade an economic spheres.—APP