Kyrgyzstan offers great economic support to Pakistani businessmen: envoy.

LAHORE -- Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan Erik Beishembiev said on Saturday that Kyrgyz market was open to Pakistani businessmen.

Talking to the business community here at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), he said that investment in Kyrgyz Republic was profitable and this opportunity should be availed by Pakistani business community through joint ventures in pharmaceutical, rice agriculture, education, tourism and various other sectors.

LCCI President Mian Tariq Misbah, Vice President Tahir Manzoor Chaudhry, former Senior Vice President Amjad Ali Jawa, former Vice President Zeshan Khalil, Executive Committee Members Haji Muhammad Asif Sehar, Shahid Nazeer, Mardan Ali Zaidi, Malik Riaz Iqbal, Naeem Haneef, Wadood Alvi and Zeshan Sohail Malik also spoke.

The Kyrgyz ambassador added: 'Kyrgyzstan is not developed in pharmaceutical sector and offers great opportunities to Pakistani pharma companies.'

The ambassador said that his country greatly valued relations with Pakistan and that was why it sought further diversification and strengthening of the relations. He said that Kyrgyz-Pakistani historical relations could be traced back centuries ago. 'Our peoples have long-time and close cultural and spiritual ties," he mentioned.

He said that direct flights between the two countries on regular basis would help improve trade and cooperation in tourism sector. He said that both countries were rich in mineral resources; had high skilled human resources; excellent opportunities for developing industry and agriculture; attracting foreign investments for joint production and supply of goods including for export.

Ambassador Erik said that Kyrgyzstan was interested in development of short transportation links through its territory between Central Asia and China and Pakistan with access to the Gwadar and Karachi ports, using railway and automobile roads, which were being constructed in the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). "Today, shortest automobile roads are connecting China to Kyrgyzstan through two border mountain passes in Kyrgyzstan - Torugart in the North and - Erkeshtam in the South, located only about 200-km from Chinese city of Kashgar," he maintained.

While answering to a question from the LCCI President, the Kyrgyz ambassador said that Pakistani businessmen could invest individually or through joint ventures in Kyrgyzstan. He said that Pakistan could use Kyrgyzstan as a gateway to enter into the EU...