Pakistan is a country with all the possibilities; it is a land of opportunities and can become much stronger. These views were expressed by Netherlands Ambassador Henny De Vries while speaking at Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI). Honorary Consul of the Netherlands Asma Hamid and First Secretary Political Affairs Lotte Hofste were also present in the meeting. The ambassador said that the Netherlands was extremely strong in agriculture and water management as the European nation was below the sea level and had to consistently battle with that challenge.

She called Punjab very strong in the agriculture sector, adding “this is the reason why a lot of our projects in milk, egg processing and IT sectors are in Punjab”.

The ambassador acknowledged that Punjab was also doing impressive work in poultry, which was a very huge sector. She stressed that exchange of technology was important for technological reforms.

Talking about the GSP Plus preferential trade status, she said that after the EU elections, the GSP Plus scheme would be re-negotiated. GSP Plus has given a huge amount of 900 million euros in tax relaxation.

In his remarks, LCCI President Kashif Anwar said both countries were maintaining a sound level of mutual trade, but he saw a tremendous potential for taking the trade volume to at least $5 billion.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 27^th, 2024.

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