Daily Times

RAWALPINDI: A delegation of the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) led by President Zahid Latif Khan Saturday called on Azerbaijan’s Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfaz Garayev at his office in Baku.

Ambassador Said Khan Mohmand and former RCCI senior vice president Rashid Waien was also present on the occasion.

Minister Abulfaz Garayev briefed the RCCI delegation on Azerbaijan’s tourism potential, recent work on tourism development in the country and projects to be implemented in the future. Speaking about the decree signed by the president of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the application of visas through the “ASAN VISA” system at the international airports of the country, Abulfaz Garayev said that the decree was one of the next important steps towards the development of tourism. In addition, the minister said that last year about 2 million tourists visited the country.

The minister noted that there ample opportunities for bilateral cooperation in the field of tourism.

Pakistan Ambassador Said Khan Mohmand expressed his gratitude to the minister for the reception.

RCCI chief Zahid Latif Khan briefed the minister about the RCCI 31st International Achievement Award and Business Opportunities Conference to be held in Baku on July 4-5. While giving summary of RCCI activities, he said that the chamber was one of Pakistan’s largest privately owned institutions and had about 7,000 members within 25 years of activity. Every year chamber organises more than 20 national and international exhibitions, he added.

Zahid Latif Khan said that there was a dire need of close cooperation between chambers of commerce of both countries, including exchange of trade delegations.

“Organising bilateral meetings of businessmen of the two countries will be fruitful,” he said, and suggested that the cooperation of the Congresses Bureau of Azerbaijan and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Pakistan would be important for both organisations.

Published in Daily Times, February 4^th 2018.