ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan on Tuesday invited Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states to invest in Pakistan’s special economic zones under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), amid Islamabad’s attempts to achieve economic stability.
Founded in 1967, ASEAN represents one of the world’s fastest-growing markets. Pakistan became a sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1993 and is seeking to upgrade to full dialogue partner status, despite the current moratorium on new partners.
Commerce Minister Khan on Tuesday hosted envoys of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam and Myanmar in Islamabad, where he reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to expand trade, investment and people-to-people links with Southeast Asia.
He urged Southeast Asian firms to invest in Pakistan’s special economic zones, citing improved macroeconomic stability, single-digit inflation and a conducive business climate, according to the commerce ministry.
“Pakistan welcomes you to export to Pakistan, add value here, and then re-export your products,” Khan told ASEAN envoys, calling for stronger multilateral trade links.
