Business matchmaking, networking: Pakistani, Malaysian businessmen hold meetings

The private sector of Pakistan and Malaysia held meetings in Kuala Lumpur for business matchmaking, business networking and for forging long-term business relationships focusing on specific sectors of energy, agriculture, Halal industry, education and IT, construction and infrastructure development, here on Thursday.
Pakistan High Commission in Kuala Lumpur told Business Recorder through an email message that a one-day international seminar on investment and business opportunities in Pakistan which was attended by more than 30 top ranking representatives of corporate sector of Pakistan and about 200 representatives of Malaysian companies was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, today, to serve as a platform to business committees of both the countries for matchmaking and networking.
Datuk Mukhriz Bin Tun Mahathir, the Malaysian Deputy Minister of Ministry of International Trade and Industry who formally inaugurated the seminar in his address said that the trade and investment relations play a pivotal role in fostering good relations between the countries which was also reflected in Malaysia's relationship with Pakistan. He said that trade between Pakistan and Malaysia has grown steadily and investment links have been established.
The minister said that Malaysia and Pakistan have signed a number of agreements to foster trade, investment technical cooperation, capacity building, intellectual property rights, construction, tourism, healthcare and telecommunication. Malaysia is now one of the top trading partners of Pakistan.
He encouraged the private sector of Malaysia to take the advantage of enabling environment and use Pakistan as a springboard to expand businesses with trading partners of Pakistan in South Asian and ASEAN regions. Chairman, Board of Investment of Pakistan, Salem H. Mandviwalla in his address encouraged the private sectors of both the countries to take advantage of trade investment and business opportunities. He announced that another seminar will be held in Pakistan late this year to take the process of engagement forward. He said that all sectors of Pakistan's economy are open for foreign investment and 100% equity and repatriation of profit is allowed. He encouraged the Malaysian companies to derive maximum benefit out of the liberal investment regime of Pakistan.
sHigh Commissioner for Pakistan in Malaysia, Masood Khalid in his welcoming remarks said that both Pakistan and Malaysia have taken new initiatives in the fields of agriculture, livestock, farming and education and some more initiatives are underway. He expressed his confidence that the deliberations in the seminar will help in tapping the hidden potential that exists between the two countries. The investment seminar has provided a unique opportunity to private and public sectors of both the countries to interact with each other under one roof and evaluate each other's strengths and competencies for forging lasting cooperation in bilateral trade, investment and business relations. He thanked the Malaysian Ministry of International Trade and Industry and MIDA for supporting the initiative of organising the seminar.