KARACHI: The Swiss Business Council (SBC) Pakistan, in collaboration with the Swiss Embassy and Consulate General and its business associates in Switzerland took up the initiative to project China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to global investors and in particular to market CPEC as a project of global value. The SBC’s investment events, held for the purpose in March and April 2017 at Islamabad and Karachi respectively, which were widely participated in by Ambassadors, Commercial Councilors of foreign missions, business leaders and media. As a follow-up to ground work in Pakistan, in early July 2017, a delegation of SBC Pakistan visited Switzerland to invoke Swiss investments and enhance bilateral trade between Pakistan and Switzerland, much driven by the opportunities offered under CPEC. In the events organized for SBC by its business partners in Switzerland, notably, Switzerland Global Enterprises (S-GE) on 4 July near Lucerne and by Swiss-Asian Chamber of Commerce (SACC) and Asia Society Switzerland (ASS) on 5 July in Zurich, the changing business and political dynamics in Pakistan and the region was debated and the value addition offered to Swiss investors under CPEC. The seminars highlighted the was enhanced regional connectivity and accessibility to unexplored markets through state of art road and rail network, enhancement in the energy capacity of the country through an investment of over US$ 35 Billion and establishment of over 30 Special Economic Zones all over the country. All the said events in Switzerland were remarkably well attended by the business leaders, bankers, Swiss business chambers and opinion makers, signifying the growing Swiss interests. The high point of the events were high-level panel discussions on CPEC participated in by a large number of business leaders, notably, from Nestlé, Sika, SACC, ASS and SBC, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Switzerland and the Swiss Consul General in Karachi. In a meeting held at the Federal Secretariat of Economic Affairs (SECO) at Bern with Ambassador Livia Leu, the CPEC project was discussed at length and its salient features presented. SECO is Switzerland’s Ministry responsible for the economic affairs of the country. Dr. Aman Rashid (Pakistan’s Ambassador to Switzerland) and Mr. Philippe Crevoisier (Swiss Consul General in Karachi) were part of the delegation with their strong presence at all of the events. Participants from SBC were Farhat Ali (President), Asif Ikram (Past President), K. M. Iqbal (Director), Kalim Farooqi (Member) and Fletcher P. Albert (Business Development Manager). Published in Daily Times, July 26th , 2017.