ISLAMABAD, Mar 3 (APP):President,Federation of Pakistan
Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Zubair F Tufail on Friday
said that Economic Cooperation Origination(ECO) countries have huge
potential to enhance trilateral trade and exports volumes for
prosperity and economic development.
Free trade between ECO countries with each other were only 2
percent of total world,which need to be enhanced more with business
and trade cooperation between member countries,he said this while
addressing to a press conference followed by meeting of the ECO
Chamber of Commerce and Industry and 22nd Executive Committee and
15th General Assembly of ECO-CCI,alongwith business leaders of ECO
countries in FPCCI building Islamabad.
He urged for enhancing the trade between ECO countries like
the other regions of the world for the prosperity and development.
“We can change the fate of 3.1 billions people living in ECO
region,through enhancing of mutual trade and investment for the
agenda of shared prosperity and development,he said.
Replying to a question, regarding the Free Trade Agreement
between Pakistan-Turkey and Iran,he said that Pakistan’s FTA with
two brotherly countries are in negotiation phase.
He added that FTA with Turkey was in Final Phase and to be
signed in coming months,adding that as same FTA with Iran was in
negotiation phase and till end of this year final agreement would be
signed between both countries.
Through FTA’s agreement,”We want positive trade and also need
for protecting the local market of both the countries.
Tufail said the business community from ECO countries were
agreed for providing trade facilities to all member countries and
urged the ECO countries government for relaxation in VISA policy to
smooth the mutual trade level.
President FPCCI hope that future of ECO countries would bright
and there is need to lift the trade barrier from member countries.
President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of
Turkey (TOBB) Rifat Hisarciklioglu on the occasion,said that “We
need trade liberalization and avoid the protectionist trade policies
for enhancing the trade level between ECO countries.
He urged for enhancing the trilateral trade between ECO
countries like European Union (EU) countries,which have 70 percent
trade to each other in total trade volume.