Tirmizi calls for greater private-sector engagement with Russian counterparts

Pakistan's Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, called for wider private-sector engagement with Russian businesses during a visit to the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Wednesday, according to Business Recorder. He met ICCI President Mohammad Zikria Akbar Zia and argued that the two countries should turn shared economic interests into commercial gains through result-oriented partnerships. Tirmizi said such ties could raise trade, investment and industrial links.

The envoy named surgical instruments, sports goods, tourism, food security, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and healthcare as areas offering scope for mutually beneficial deals. He also urged easier visa rules, direct flights and fixes for banking and payment hurdles, and discussed plans for a bilateral business forum with advance company meetings. Better transport links through Iran, Afghanistan and China were highlighted as well.

ICCI President Mohammad Zikria Akbar Zia proposed joint ventures in power, steel and wider industry, and called for consistent long-term economic policies shaped with private-sector input. He said stable policies, predictable rules and better coordination between government and business were needed to draw investment and lift competitiveness. Senior Vice President Mohammad Ashfaq Hussain Chattah added that ongoing contact between diplomats and business people matters for economic ties between the two countries.