Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh highlights great potential in Pak-U.S. bilateral trade & investment ties
WASHINGTON, Nov 08 (SABAH): Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh held a productive meeting on Friday with key officials from the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce focused on expanding and deepening the business ties between Pakistan and the San Francisco Bay Area. The Consul General of Pakistan in Los Angeles also joined the meeting.
The discussions centered on supporting the existing Pakistani businesses operating in the region and explore new opportunities for collaboration. Both sides expressed a strong commitment to facilitating mutual growth, with an emphasis on creating an environment conducive to business expansion, investment, and innovation.
Ambassador Sheikh highlighted the significant potential for Pakistan-San Francisco business collaboration, particularly in the areas of technology, IT services, and trade. He emphasized the important role of the Pakistani-American community in bridging the two regions and serving as a catalyst for economic engagement, and educational and cultural exchanges.
The Ambassador noted that Pakistan views the San Francisco Bay Area as a critical partner in the areas of innovation and entrepreneurship. The region’s tech-driven economy offers vast opportunities for collaboration, and that Pakistan was keen to explore avenues that will further cement its economic ties with American counterparts.
Both sides also discussed strategies to enhance the visibility of Pakistani businesses in the Bay Area and foster greater dialogue between business leaders in both regions. The leadership of the Chamber welcomed the initiative and expressed the Chamber’s support for strengthening ties with Pakistan. Both sides agreed to continue a productive engagement and work towards concrete steps to foster a more robust and sustainable business relationship in the future.
Meanwhile Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, delivered an talk on Pakistan-US Relations: Role of Pakistan Diaspora at the Department of Ethnic Studies, University of California, Berkeley on November 7th 2024. The event, attended by faculty members and students, provided a significant platform for an open dialogue on the evolving relationship between Pakistan and the United States, with focus on the role of the Pakistani- American community in shaping bilateral ties.
Ambassador Sheikh highlighted key developments in Pakistan-U.S. bilateral relations in recent years, emphasizing the government’s priorities to enhance bilateral cooperation in trade and investment, higher education, health, science and technology, climate change, and regional stability. He underscored the strategic nature of the relationship in historical context and shared interests of both nations to promote peace and development. He also stressed the pivotal role of the Pakistani diaspora in strengthening these ties, particularly through active engagement with American institutions, policymakers, media, and the corporate sector.
He also emphasized the vital role of the Pakistani-American community in enhancing people-to-people connections and promoting educational, economic, and cultural exchanges, effectively serving as a bridge between Pakistan and the United States. He noted that the community, with its strong roots in both countries, is uniquely positioned to further strengthen the friendly relations between the two nations. He also underscored the significant contributions of Pakistani-Americans across diverse sectors, including technology, healthcare, and business, and their impact in advancing the shared interests of Pakistan and the U.S.
Referring to Pakistan’s historical role as a diplomatic bridge between the United States and China, he said the country is now poised to serve as an economic bridge, fostering deeper connections between these two major economies.
Engagement with prestigious academic institutions is a key component of the Embassy’s ongoing efforts to promote deeper understanding and collaboration between the people of Pakistan and the United States. These efforts emphasize the pivotal role of the diaspora in bridging cultural, educational, and political divides.
Meanwhile Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh offered a diplomatic facilitation mechanism to Pakistani-American community for promotion of trade and investment ties with the U.S.
The Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States who is on an official visit to the Silicon Valley addressed a gathering of Pakistani-American community in San Jose, California. He was invited by Friends of Pakistan (FOP), a community organization based in Southern California and having multiple chapters along the U.S. West Coast.
The community appreciated the outreach efforts of the Embassy and Consulate General of Pakistan.
In his interactive session he made the following important points
Appreciated community’s role Offered a facilitation mechanism to the community to strengthen business and investment linkages between the two countries.
Encouraged the community to explore Pakistan’s qualitative edge and cost competitiveness of human resource and service industry
Stressed on the community to take advantage of their roots in both countries۔