Trade, investment and IT: Talks held with Georgia to explore areas of cooperation: FO

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Georgia have formally kicked off the mechanism of bilateral political consultations, focusing on mutually-beneficial areas of cooperation, particularly trade and investment, tourism, education, and information technology.

The inaugural session of “Pakistan-Georgia Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC)” was held in Tbilisi on June 1, 2023, according to a statement of the Foreign Office issued here Friday.

Foreign Secretary Dr Asad Majeed Khan and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Alexander Khvtisiashvili, led the respective sides.

The ambassador of Pakistan in Georgia and Azerbaijan and senior officials from both sides were also present.

It stated that the two sides exchanged views on the state of play of bilateral relations. Terming the inaugural session as a stepping stone for diversified cooperation, both sides affirmed their desire to explore mutually beneficial areas of cooperation with a special focus on trade & investment, tourism, education and information technology.

Noting the investor-friendly policies of both countries, the foreign secretary highlighted immense potential for bilateral trade and investment between Pakistan and Georgia.

“The two sides also formalised the bilateral political consultation mechanism with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and it was agreed that the second session of the BPC will be held in Islamabad on mutually-agreed dates,” read the statement.

The foreign secretary also called on the Foreign Minister of Georgia. Ilia Darchiashvili.

Welcoming the inaugural round of consultations, the statement added that the two sides expressed hope that it would lay the foundation of multifaceted cooperation between the two sides.

The foreign secretary also held separate meetings with the Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia.

According to the statement, Foreign Secretary Asad Majeed Khan also attended an interactive event with prominent business representatives of Georgian companies where he underscored the need for rigorous B2B networking to unlock the potential for cooperation between Pakistan and Georgia.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023