Ambassador-Designate to Netherlands Visits ICCI: Pledges Focus on Strengthening Trade Ties

ISLAMABAD ( WNAM REPORT): Ambassador-designate to the Netherlands, Syed Haider Shah, has expressed his commitment to enhancing trade and investment relations between Pakistan and the Netherlands. He emphasized that strengthening bilateral trade ties will be his top priority during his tenure.
He made these remarks during a meeting with Nasir Mansoor Qureshi, President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), at the Chamber House on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by Senior Vice President Abdul Rehman Siddiqui, Vice President Nasir Mehmood Chaudhry, and several executive members, including Imran Minhas, Raja Naveed Satti, Muhammad Kaleemullah, Chaudhry Nadeem Ahmed, Irfan Chaudhry, Senior Advisor to ICCI President Naeem Siddiqui, and former Executive Member Chaudhry Mohammad Ali.
Ambassador Shah stressed the importance of teamwork in promoting Pakistani goods and services. He assured the ICCI members that he would thoroughly examine the Dutch market and share valuable insights with Pakistan’s business and industrial community. He encouraged exporters to capitalize on trade opportunities in the Netherlands by diversifying their product range beyond traditional exports.
The Ambassador invited ICCI to provide recommendations on improving trade and investment ties with the Netherlands. He particularly highlighted the potential for collaboration in key sectors such as agriculture, textiles, software exports, and high-tech value-added products.
Welcoming the Ambassador-designate, ICCI President Nasir Mansoor Qureshi stated that while trade relations between Pakistan and the Netherlands are positive, significant potential still exists to expand the trade volume.
Qureshi pointed out that rising costs of doing business in Pakistan have put exporters at a disadvantage compared to neighboring countries. He stressed the need for a level playing field to enable Pakistani exporters to maximize the benefits of trade incentives like the GSP Plus Scheme.
He also recommended the possibility of organizing exhibitions for Pakistani products at prominent business hubs in the Netherlands to offer Dutch businesses a closer look at Pakistan’s high-quality goods and services, ultimately boosting exports.
During the meeting, Senior Vice President Abdul Rehman Siddiqui, Senior Advisor to ICCI President Naeem Siddiqui, and former Executive Member Chaudhry Mohammad Ali also underscored the importance of collective efforts to promote Pakistani exports, ultimately driving economic growth and prosperity.
The ICCI leadership assured Ambassador Shah of their full cooperation in fostering stronger trade and investment ties with the Netherlands to unlock new opportunities for Pakistani businesses.