KARACHI: 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 the 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 International Maritime Organisation (IMO) elections next year. Ambassadors from Austria, Canada, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Germany, and United Kingdom attended the meeting.
Addressing the meeting, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi said that Pakistan has a huge potential as far as its maritime resources are concerned. He said the coastline is rich with opportunities connecting Central, South East Asia and the rest of Asia with the energy-rich Middle East and markets of Europe and Africa.
He said 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 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 resolved to transform Karachi into a connected port city with a developed infrastructure that will boost investors’ confidence, but also facilitate the existing industries to establish a supply chain that will ultimately bolster exports.
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 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and will give rise to a private shipping sector with the government having the role of a regulator hence saving billions of dollars of precious foreign exchange spent on annual freight charges.
Ali Zaidi also informed the audience about Pakistan’s intent to contest the upcoming IMO Elections in Category C. In a period of one week, Ministry of Maritime Affairs held four such meetings whereby the initiatives by the ministry were praised by the dignitaries representing countries from all regions of the world
