Pakistan, Malaysia resolve to enhance trade ties

JEDDAH: Pakistan and Malaysia here on Thursday reaffirmed the desire to promote bilateral cooperation in the economic arena as well as enhancement of bilateral trade with a particular focus on halal food industry and tourism, Radio Pakistan reported.

This concurrence came during a meeting between Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi with his Malaysian counterpart Dato Saifuddin bin Abdullah on the sidelines of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Jeddah.

The two sides further decided to intensify people-to-people exchanges with a special focus on parliamentary exchanges and linkages between electoral institutions, anti-corruption mechanisms and institutions of higher learning.

The prospect of defence cooperation, including in the field of defence production, also came under discussion. Both sides agreed to expand cooperation in industries of future including robotics and artificial intelligence.

Foreign Minister Qureshi noted that Pakistan and Malaysia enjoyed convergence of views on a number of regional and international issues and have a tradition of close cooperation in different regional and international fora.

Read More: Pakistan, Malaysia sign five MoUs: Asad Umar

Earlier on March 22, then Finance Minister Asad Umar had said Pakistan and Malaysia had signed five memorandums of understanding in various sectors.

In his informal talk with the reporters in the federal capital, the then minister had said Malaysia had expressed interest in buying meat and rice from Pakistan.

The Malaysian delegation had also showed their interest in buying Pakistani made JF-17 Thunder fighter jets.

In this regard, Umar had maintained that the Malaysian authorities had invited Pakistan to attend defence exhibition, to display its JF-17 jets.