LAHORE: Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan Erik Beishembiev on Saturday said that Kyrgyz market is open for Pakistani businessmen. Investment in Kyrgyz Republic is profitable and this opportunity should be availed by Pakistani business community through joint ventures in pharmaceutical, rice agriculture, education, tourism and various other sectors.

"Kyrgyzstan is not developed in pharmaceutical sector and offers great opportunities to the Pakistani pharma companies," the Kyrgyz Ambassador said in a meeting with President Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry Mian Tariq Misbah.

The Ambassador said that his country greatly valued relations with Pakistan and that was why it sought further diversification and strengthening of the relations. He said that Kyrgyz-Pakistani historical relations could be traced back centuries ago. "Our peoples have long-time and close cultural and spiritual ties." He said that direct flights between the two countries on regular basis would help improve trade and cooperation in tourism sector. He said that both the countries were rich in mineral resources, have high skilled human resources, excellent opportunities for developing industry and agriculture, attracting foreign investments for joint production and supply of goods, including for export.

Ambassador Erik said that Kyrgyzstan is interested in development of short transportation links through its territory between Central Asia and China and Pakistan with access to the Gwadar and Karachi ports, using railway and automobile roads, which are being constructed in the framework of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Today, shortest automobile roads are connecting China to Kyrgyzstan through two border mountain passes in Kyrgyzstan - Torugart in the North and - Erkeshtam in the South, located only about 200-km from Chinese city of Kashgar, he added.

While answering to a question from the LCCI President, the Kyrgyz Ambassador said that Pakistani businessmen can invest individually or through joint ventures in Kyrgyzstan. He said that Pakistan can use Kyrgyzstan as a gateway to enter the EU market and can avail benefits from GSP Plus status.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021