Ambassador of Nepal Sewa Lamsal Adhikari said on Wednesday that Nepal would hold Investment Summit in March to share its potential with the world and Pakistani businessmen must participate in it to explore untapped opportunities. She was speaking here at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry, where LCCI President Almas Hyder was also present. The ambassador said that Nepal was a virgin land for investors and there were a lot of investment opportunities for Pakistani investors. She said that this was the right time for Pakistani businessmen to do business with Nepal. She said that there was huge potential of investment in the field of infrastructure, agriculture, sports, and specifically in hydropower sector. Adhikari said that work on Free Trade Agreement between Nepal and Pakistan was well on the way, adding that lack of direct flight between the two countries and long route through India was coming in the way of two-way trade expansion.
The ambassador said that 60 years of relations between Nepal and Pakistan were being completed on the 20th of March and Nepal had planned to celebrate this event. She said that Nepal highly values the relations with Pakistan.
In his welcome address, LCCI President Almas Hyder assured his full support for the promotion of cultural and trade relations of both sides. He invited Nepal to organise a cultural event, Nepal Food Festival or Nepal Nights in Lahore that would bring near the people of the two countries. He also invited a cultural delegation from Nepal to visit Pakistan. He said that there must be people to people interactions of both sides to come closure to each other.
Almas Hyder said that SEFTA was a good channel of trade for both countries. He said, "Unfortunately, we didn't seriously focus to enhance the trade relations and investment in Nepal and China and India were getting fruits." He said that exchange of business delegations was the need of the hour.
"It is needless to mention that a lot of efforts are required to be done to boost the low level of bilateral trade," the LCCI President said and added that trade figures suggest that both countries desperately need to make efforts for developing people to people contact, tourism links, direct flights between Pakistan and Nepal for building mutual relations and supporting the bilateral trade. He said the Lahore Chamber of Commerce was ready to provide any service to the businessmen from Nepal.
