RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: Greek-Pakistani Chamber of Commerce (GPCC) president Maria Rubina Markopoulou Wednesday visited the regional office of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and discussed the matters related to promote the bilateral trade between the two countries.

Speaking on the occasion, Maria Rubina Markopoulou said there is good market for Pakistani surgical instruments, pharmaceutical products, textile yarn and fabrics of apparel and cloth accessories, leather goods, sports goods, pharmaceutical products, organic chemicals, paper and paper board, iron and steel, textile yarn, chemicals, fertilizers, specified machinery and cotton.

She said communication gap between business circles in Pakistan and Greece must be bridged as it is one of the biggest reasons of lower trade volume between the two countries.

FPCCI vice president Ch Arfan Yousaf said Pakistani businessmen should explore Greece as trading partner and a link to EU and Schengen States. The trade volume between the two sides is very low. Pakistani exports to Greece stands at $20,435 against the imports of $47,155 which are two percent of the total Greece export and one percent of the total imports. He said the delegation will meet government official of Greece and various chambers in Greece including the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Greek-Pakistani Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

He said exchange of trade delegations and timely dissemination of trade and investment-related information can help boosting two-way trade. He said the FPCCI will host a delegation of Greek people visiting Pakistan this year for joint venture under the memorandum of understanding already signed between two countries.