CPEC has enhanced Pakistan’s importance: Indonesian envoy

Sialkot: Indonesian Ambassador to Pakistan Adam M Tugio has said that the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) had further enhanced Pakistan’s importance.

The envoy explained that because of the mega project of CPEC, Pakistan not only could enjoy phenomenal economic growth and prosperity, but can also promote the economies of the neighbouring countries.

“CPEC would make Pakistan a hub for the exploration of parts of western China and central Asia. The CPEC would certainly transform the economic condition of Pakistan and many other countries in the region,” Tugio remarked while addressing local industrialists and exporters at the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).

According to the details released officially on Wednesday, the envoy said that enhancing of bilateral trade between Indonesia and Pakistan was a big challenge for him.

He mentioned that Indonesia and Pakistan were two brotherly states, which enjoyed warm and cordial relations since long, but their trade ties were not up to their actual potential.

“Pakistan has already been enjoying a very unique and important geo-strategic position in the region and the start of the CPEC has further enhanced its importance,” he stated.

The Ambassador invited the local business community to come and enjoy huge opportunities of investment in Indonesia. He said that trade between ASEAN countries and Pakistan was only one per cent of the trade between China and ASEAN, which indicated that ASEAN region was full of opportunities of economic growth.

Tugio, while highlighting the unique ties between Indonesia and Pakistan, viewed that both the countries were blessed with a number of similarities from facial features to Jinnah Caps and from dozens of various popular and delicious dishes to sandals.

He added that the nature had blessed both the countries with numerous beautiful sites. Tugio maintained that facilitation of bilateral trade was his most important job and meaningful steps were being taken for the business-to-business meetings, in that connection.

Earlier, in his speech, SCCI president Qaiser Iqbal Baryar said that joint efforts were required to enhance the bilateral trade and for that purpose aggressive exchange of trade delegations and holding of the single country exhibitions could be highly effective.

He told the participants that during 2019-20 volume of the bilateral trade between Pakistan and Indonesia was about US $ 2.5 billion and it was hugely in the favour of Indonesia.

SCCI senior vice president Khurram Aslam Butt, vice chairman Ansar Aziz Puri and secretary general Tariq Mehmood Malik were also present at the event. Later, Adam M Tugio visited some industrial units.