By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: Envoys from European countries were hosted by Ministry of Maritime Affairs on the fourth and final day of a series of meetings conducted to showcase ministry’s two year performance and Blue Economy initiatives.
The meetings also provided a platform for garnering support for Pakistan’s candidacy in the upcoming IMO elections next year. Ambassadors from Austria, Canada, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Germany and United Kingdom attended the meeting, said a press release.
Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Syed Ali Haider Zaidi addressing the meeting said that Pakistan has a huge potential as far as its maritime resources are concerned. Our 1100 Km coastline is rich with opportunities of connecting central, south East, East Asia with the energy rich middle east, and markets of Europe and Africa.
Coastal tourism, real estate development, seafood exports and sea trade will dynamically change not only the economic condition of Pakistan, but its dividends will be distributed among the other regional countries, especially landlocked central Asia.
He also quoted the examples of Ports transforming the cities with infrastructure development necessary for industries and the adjacent export processing zones that have transformed countries into trade and manufacturing hubs.
Citing the example of New York port authority the minister shared his firm resolve to transform Karachi into a more connected port city with developed and well maintained infrastructure that will boost not only investors’ confidence but will also facilitate the existing industries to establish a supple chain that will ultimately bolster Pakistan’s exports, substantially.
The minister, mentioning the new shipping policy, reiterated the incumbent government’s steps, including such business friendly policies that have the requisite potential to attract FDI and will give rise to a private shipping sector with government having the role of a regulator hence saving the billions of dollars of precious foreign exchange being spent on annual freight bill.
