LAHORE, Oct 31 (APP): Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Pakistan, Rear Admiral (retd) Fred Senevirathne, Saturday called for stronger trade and economic cooperation between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, stressing the need to translate the longstanding brotherly relations between the two countries into increased commercial engagement, investment and business partnerships.
He was talking to business community here at Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), where LCCI President Ali Hussam Asghar gave a detailed overview of Pakistan’s economy while Senior Vice President Sardar Usman Ghani and Vice President Chaudhry Khadim Hussain also spoke on the occasion.
The High Commissioner invited Pakistani businessmen to explore the trade and investment opportunities available in Sri Lanka and develop closer commercial relationships with their Sri Lankan counterparts. He stressed the importance of strengthening economic engagement so that the friendly relations between the two countries could also produce greater benefits for their business communities.
LCCI President Ali Hussam Asghar said that Pakistan and Sri Lanka enjoying cordial and longstanding relations, which provided a strong foundation for expanding bilateral trade and economic cooperation. He said that both countries needed to make greater efforts to convert these friendly ties into practical business opportunities.
The LCCI President proposed the exchange of trade delegations between the two countries to help businessmen understand each other’s markets, identify potential partners and explore new avenues of cooperation. He also suggested organizing single-country exhibitions in Pakistan and Sri Lanka to showcase products, services and investment opportunities, enabling companies to establish direct business contacts.
He highlighted Lahore’s importance as a vibrant business and commercial center and a significant contributor to Pakistan’s exports. He said that stronger engagement with Sri Lankan businesses could open new avenues for Pakistani exporters and investors while providing opportunities for Sri Lankan companies to explore the Pakistani market.
He stressed the need to promote business-to-business (B2B) contacts and strengthen chamber-to-chamber relations, explaining that direct interaction between business organizations could help identify areas of mutual interest and develop lasting commercial partnerships. He also encouraged businessmen from both countries to explore opportunities for establishing business outlets in each other’s markets, which could help improve market access and strengthen commercial presence.
The LCCI President further underscored the importance of sustained interaction between the business communities, saying that regular exchanges, exhibitions and intra-chamber cooperation could play a meaningful role in expanding bilateral trade. He said that closer coordination between the chambers would help businesses identify practical opportunities and build stronger economic connections.
LCCI Senior Vice President Mr. Sardar Usman Ghani and Vice President Mr. Chaudhry Khadim Hussain also spoke on the occasion and exchanged views on strengthening Pakistan–Sri Lanka economic relations and promoting greater cooperation between the business communities.
Honorary Consul of Sri Lanka Yasin Joyia, Former LCCI Vice Presidents Mian Zahid Javed and Haris Atiq, Members of the LCCI Executive Committee Ms. Huma Junaid, Shahzad Ali Shah, Muhammad Ali, Shahzad Mahmood, Mardan Ali Zaidi, Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali, Amir Ata Barry, Syed Yousaf Jamil, Ali Raza, Adeel Babar Khan and Chaudhry Muhammad Fargham were also present.
Source: APP (Associated Press of Pakistan)
