Islamabad, Nov 19: Belgian Ambassador Advocates for Strengthening Investment and Cooperation in Pakistan. The Belgian Business Contact Day and Catalogue Exhibition was held on Monday at the Chamber House by the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI).
The main guest for the occasion, Charles-Idesbald Van Der Gracht De Rommerswael, the Belgian ambassador to Pakistan, officially opened the event. The purpose of the gathering was to promote cooperation and deepen commercial connections between Belgium and Pakistan.
The ambassador underlined Belgium’s dedication to expanding investment and collaboration in Pakistan across a range of areas in his keynote speech. “Education, agriculture, textiles, and other sectors have enormous potential for collaboration,” the ambassador said, emphasizing the need to reverse the fall in bilateral commerce, which dropped from $1.09 billion in 2022–2023 to $872.4 million in 2023–2024.
To increase trade volumes and open up new prospects, he urged proactive measures including B2B meetings, collaborative ventures, and single-country exhibits.The ambassador also reaffirmed Belgium’s support for Pakistan in obtaining GSP Plus status and praised the trade connections between Pakistan and Belgium. He urged both nations to improve their student exchange programs and named agriculture, textiles, and precious stones as priority industries for cooperative partnerships.
In his remarks, RCCI President Usman Shaukat recognized Belgium as an important business partner in the EU. He talked about the latest efforts and future goals of RCCI to advance investment and commerce. He reaffirmed RCCI’s dedication to promoting engagement with the Belgian Embassy and relationships in the public and private sectors.
Trade Commissioner Abid Husain; Laurent de Greef, First Secretary Political; Gilles Hachez, First Secretary Consular; Khalid Farooq Qazi, Senior Vice President; and Fahad Barlas, Vice President. Members of the RCCI Executive Committee, women members, Commercial Officer Shaukat Niazi, and other notable visitors attended the event.
A wide range of materials, including books, periodicals, and trade directories, were on display at the Catalogue Exhibition, showcasing industries like tourism, education, agro-food processing, chemicals, surgical tools, paper goods, dairy, and renewable energy. With the help of these exhibits, visitors investigated fresh opportunities for development and collaboration.
