APBF President holds talks with German Deputy Head of Mission Dr Philipp Deichmann

German Deputy Head of Mission Dr. Philipp Deichmann has said that economic ties of Pakistan and Germany are very strong, stressing the need for enhancing two-way trade by establishing joint ventures for producing value-added products in the country.

He was talking to APBF President Syed Maaz Mahmood and Secretary General Khurram Niaz Khan in his office today along with First Secretary-Economic & Political Section Christian Bottcher.

Both sides discussed the challenges being faced by business community of the two countries and their solutions in post-corona industrial slowdown. Both sides also agreed to boost bilateral trade and investment through proactive approach and improved engagement.

Dr. Philipp Deichmann said that Pakistan and Germany’s bilateral trade has been around 3 billion Euros while trade balance is also in favour of Pakistan. The ambassador vowed to play his effective role in improving the trade relations between the two countries.

He also emphasized that the biggest asset of Pakistan lies in its abundant youthful workforce. If they are trained and educated well by the government in collaboration with the private sector, this workforce could be the main strength in Pakistan’s industrial development.

Dr. Philipp Deichmann said that Germany wanted to further enhance trade relations with Pakistan and stressed the need for exchange of delegations to explore business collaborations with Pakistani counterparts.

APBF President Syed Maaz Mahmood, on this occasion, outlined the business and investment opportunities in Pakistan. He asked German investors to take benefit of these opportunities by investing in Pakistan. He cited IT and pharmaceutical sectors as the other potential areas for cooperation between the two countries.

He said that the All Pakistan Business Forum (APBF) will extend full cooperation and support to strengthen trade and economic ties between Pakistan and Germany. He informed that APBF has made numerous valuable contributions towards the progress and growth of the national economy. “We are making consistent efforts to identify and engage resourceful organizations and entrepreneurs to create new opportunities and mutual benefits through our shared values and wisdom.”

President APBF appreciated the professional and financial support by Germany to Pakistan not only in COVID-19 but even before that as its being very helpful for skills work force development / TVET to engage unemployed labor to train them with technical skills.

APBF President appreciated the efforts and support of government of Germany and its people to Pakistan, especially GIZ LSP Program which has done great while engaging all the relevant stakeholders along with private sector and business community to improve labor standards to the level of international standards. “The partnership of Germany along with European Union to provide technical education and vocational training and skill to our youth is commendable as we have seen remarkable progress on TVET, which could be a game changer for Pakistan in near future for a prosperous Pakistan.”

Secretary General Khurram Niaz briefed him about the APBF activities in last few years and plans for upcoming projects addressing TVET, environment and ease of doing business.

Dr. Phillip admired the work being done by APBF, saying that Germany and Pakistan have great business and bilateral trade relation and his country will continue to play a positive and supportive role for the betterment and prosperity of Pakistan.