ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) hosted a farewell dinner in honor of H.E. Adam M. Tugio, Ambassador of Indonesia to Pakistan.
Additional Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, High Commissioner of Malaysia H.E. Muhammad Azhar Mazlan, Ambassador of Azerbaijan H.E. Khazar Farhadov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan H.E. Yerzhan Kistafin, Ambassador of the Philippines H.E. Maria Agnes M. Cervantes, Ambassador of Nepal H.E. Tapas Adhikari, dignitaries, journalists, and a substantial representation from the business community attended the event.
During the dinner, ICCI and the business community proposed awarding the highest civil honor of Pakistan to the outgoing Ambassador of Indonesia for his exceptional contributions to strengthening bilateral ties in economic, trade, political, diplomatic, and other spheres.
In his remarks, Ambassador Adam M. Tugio expressed optimism about the potential for increased trade and economic ties between Indonesia and Pakistan. He highlighted various sectors, including tourism, trade, technology, energy, and agriculture, where both countries could expand their relations.
The ambassador emphasized the historical and religious ties between Indonesia and Pakistan, urging the preservation of this legacy for future generations. He shared fond memories of his time as the Indonesian ambassador in Pakistan and praised the hospitality and natural beauty of the country.
Ambassador Tugio thanked ICCI for organizing the farewell function and expressed hope for the operationalization of direct flights between Pakistan and Indonesia. He also anticipated the finalization of a free trade agreement, which would further boost mutual trade.
Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari, President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce, advocated for Indonesia to promote Pakistan as a full dialogue partner in ASEAN to enhance economic and trade ties.
He emphasized the crucial role of the business community in fostering trade relations between the two countries and assured ICCI’s commitment to playing a significant role in this regard.
Zafar Bakhtawari, former President of ICCI and Secretary General of UBG Pakistan, stressed the urgency of implementing direct flights and a free trade agreement between the two nations to enhance economic and trade relations.
Additional Secretary of MOFA Rizwan Saeed Sheikh highlighted the potential for Pakistan and Indonesia to collaborate on trade corridors, leveraging their geo-strategic locations for mutual geo-economic benefits.
He suggested that Indonesia could facilitate Pakistan in gaining full dialogue partner status with ASEAN and membership in the ASEAN Regional Forum.
Various ICCI representatives, including Senior Vice President Faad Waheed, ICCI Group Leader Khalid Malik, and Vice President Engineer Azharul Islam, echoed the sentiment that Pakistan and Indonesia have significant untapped potential to explore new sectors and further strengthen their bilateral economic ties.
(Islamabad51_Newsdesk)
