Doha – In a recent meeting at the Federation House in Islamabad, Pakistan, the President of the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Atif Ikram Sheikh, emphasized the need for establishing direct flights and strong air links between Morocco and Pakistan to bolster trade relations between the two countries.
According to a report by the Pakistani newspaper The Nation, Sheikh highlighted the vast investment opportunities available in Pakistan across various sectors, including tourism, construction, hydro, textile, pink salt, solar power projects, mines and minerals, gemstones, and agriculture.
He noted that Pakistan’s exports to Morocco have grown from $24.85 million in 2018 to $32.06 million in 2022 and stressed the importance of further increasing this figure.
Sheikh called for collaboration between the FPCCI and Moroccan Chambers of Commerce to promote bilateral trade, facilitate visits, organize trade events, and foster business partnerships. He believes that these efforts will help strengthen the economic ties between the two nations.
During the meeting, Mirza Ishtiaq Baig, the Honorary Consul General of Morocco and Chairman of the Pakistan-Morocco Business Council, pointed out the significant areas for mutual trade between the two countries.
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Baig announced plans to lead a large delegation to Morocco in the near future. He also mentioned the success of last year’s delegation visit to Morocco, where they organized a Biryani Festival to showcase Pakistani rice, which is highly sought after in the Moroccan market.
Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, a Member of the National Assembly and former Senior Vice President of the FPCCI, assured the Federation President that he would strongly advocate for the business community’s interests in the National Assembly and play a crucial role in securing institutional support.
Moroccan Ambassador Muhammad Karamone expressed gratitude to the FPCCI and highlighted Morocco’s strategic position as a gateway to Europe. He emphasized that Morocco has free trade agreements with African countries and the European Union, which Pakistan can leverage through collaboration with Morocco.
Karamone identified tourism as a key sector for potential Pakistani investment in Morocco and suggested organizing activities such as single-country exhibitions to promote business opportunities. He also mentioned Morocco’s ten major ports, large-scale investments in telecommunication, energy, and the banking system as areas of interest.
At the beginning of this month, Abdellatif Hammouchi, the Director General of National Security and Surveillance of the Territory (DGST), hosted Muhammad Sami-ur-Rehman, the Ambassador of Pakistan to Morocco, in Rabat. The two parties discussed various security-related topics of mutual interest and explored avenues to enhance bilateral cooperation across different security domains.
