TAXILA: Ambassador of Romania Nicolae Goia here on Sunday said his country wants to enhance the volume of trade with Pakistan to $500 million per year as both the countries have huge potential to promote bilateral trade in different fields.

He was talking to newsmen after attending a function held to celebrate 100 years of the unity of Romania. The event was organised by Chairman Pakistan-Romania Friendship Association Syed Ahsan Shah. Mayor of Islamabad Sheikh Anser Aziz, MNA Noreen Ibrahim, association’s President retired Maj Gen Hafiz Masoor Ahmed, former minister Syed Wajid Bukhari, former ambassadors Sarwar Naqvi, Aslam Rizvi and Fouzia Nasreen were present.

A truck art exhibition was also organised on the occasion.

The ambassador said the two countries enjoyed excellent political relations but economic ties were not up to their potential though bilateral cooperation dated back to the 1960s.

He said Romania was keen to develop strong economic ties with Pakistan as it was an important country with great potential for business.

Mr Goia said Romania was a fast growing economy in Europe and there was a great potential for improving trade between the two countries.

He said Romania was the seventh largest market in Europe but Pakistan was yet to fully explore the market.

As there is a big room for people-to-people contact to explore the markets, there is a dire need to collaborate in other areas of economic cooperation such as energy, IT, pharmaceutical, defence production, tractors assembling and engineering.

The envoy said Romania was going to head the European Union (EU) from Jan 2019 and through it Pakistan can explore new trade potential with the member nations of the union. The EU granted the GSP-plus status to Pakistan in 2003 which offers a good opportunity to the two countries to improve their bilateral trade relations.

“There is a dire need to explore untapped potential in the fields of business and trade to spur relations between the two countries.”

He added: “We plan to encourage exchange of business and cultural delegations to help achieve the goal of diversification of ties,” Mr Goia said.

Earlier, addressing the function, the envoy said on Dec 1 they celebrate the centennial of the Great Union, referring to the unification of Transylvania, Bessarabia and Bukovina with the Romanian Kingdom in 1918.

The chairman of the association said its advisory committee included former ambassadors who would explore further potential of cooperation between the two countries in the sectors of trade, education, tourism and culture. He expressed the hope that bilateral relations would be in a fast track within the next few years.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2018