Polish Market Online

Poland is a gateway to the EU for Pakistan

A delegation of Pakistani business leaders headed by Tanvir Ahmad Sheikh, President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, has paid a visit to Poland. Tanvir Ahmad Sheik told POLISH MARKET the trip was a follow-up to an MOU signed last year on the occasion of the visit by the President of Pakistan to Poland. “We are particularly interested in joint ventures in coal mining and electricity generation through coal-fired generation. Pakistan has huge reserves of lignite coal that is very similar to brown coal available in Poland.

REKLAMA

A large percentage of electricity generated in Poland is obtained through burning lignite. We are very interested in acquiring this kind of technology. It can be in the form of joint ventures or direct investment from Pakistani investors, or possibly a consortium of investors from all over the world. We had talks with deputy minister of the economics as well as businessmen at the Polish Chamber of Commerce. We have made considerable headway. We will be receiving offers from Polish companies involved in this area” the leader of the Pakistani delegation explained.
The Pakistani oil industry and the Polish oil extraction industry have long been working together on projects in Pakistan. A number of wells have been dug by Polish companies, notably OGEC based in Krakow.
“We are also looking towards paper manufacturing. Poland is making good paper and Pakistan is still importing paper“ Tanvir Ahmad Sheikh said. “We would like to have the technology of paper manufacture for the establishment of paper manufacture in Pakistan. “
The Pakistani delegation also explored avenues of co-operation in the field of textiles, which Pakistan is keen to export to Poland and through Poland to the EU. “Poland is now a gateway to the EU market. Ever since Poland acceded to the EU, the attraction for the outside world to be a business partner for Poland has increased. Semi-finished products can be exported from Pakistan to be finished here, so it’s exported to the European Union.” he pointed out.
The head of the Pakistani business mission said that although trade between Poland and Pakistan has been picking up, there is still plenty of room for expansion “Right now it has increased 5 times over the past four years, but still there is a vast potential there. Joint ventures can be set up to immediately increase the volume of textile exports.”
The fact that in 2012 Poland, together with Ukraine, will be hosting the Euro 2012 football championship opens yet another area of possibilities for Polish-Pakistani trade, according to Tanvir Ahmad Sheikh. “Pakistan is very good at making sportswear, I have spoken to representatives of the Polish Chamber of Commerce to arrange a visit to Pakistan by a delegation of interested Polish businessmen to explore the possibilities of importing sports goods and sportswear. In the last football championship the football used was made in Pakistan.”