Minister for Plantation Industries and Commodities of Malaysia Ms. Zuraida Binti Kamaruddin, along with a delegation called on Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani and discussed in detail issues of mutual interest including the bilateral relations between both the countries, here at the Parliament House on Friday. The Chairman Senate said that Pakistan and Malaysia have a long standing fraternal relationship which has been developing with the passage of time. He said the recent exchange of high level delegations between the two countries has further enhanced the bilateral relations. “The Parliamentary relations between the two countries will be further strengthened and the trade volume between the two countries to increase which will significantly boost the economy of the country” he added. Sadiq Sanjrani said that Pakistan attaches great importance to friendly relations with Malaysia and mutual partnership in various fields. The two countries have always fully supported each other’s stance at international forums, he added. He said that due to their geographical importance, Pakistan and Malaysia could provide strategic and economic benefits to each other by providing access to their respective markets. He said, “Education, defense products, trade investment, electronics and IT industry, bilateral cooperation in the fields of halal food, oil and gas, renewable energy, tourism will pave the way for meeting each other’s needs and further strengthening relations between the two countries.” Regarding the promotion of trade and investment in Pakistan, Sadiq Sanjrani said that Malaysia may benefit from increasing exports of fishing, textile, pharmaceutical, surgical instruments, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products from Pakistan. He said that Gwadar would be the economic hub in the world in the near future and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects would significantly boost trade and investment through access to Central Asia countries. Malaysia should also take advantage of the vast investment opportunities in Pakistan. Sadiq Sajrani said that Pakistan was taking effective steps to promote tourism and Pakistan was keen to benefit from Malaysia’s expertise in tourism as well as Malaysian investment in the tourism sector. He said, Pakistan also wanted to benefit from the “Malaysia, Trolley Asia” experience. Increasing trade volume and boosting investment between the two countries will be beneficial for economic growth. “This will benefit not only the two countries but also their people” he added. He said that Pakistan encourages Malaysian investment in Small and Medium Enterprises. Ms Zuraida Binti Kamaruddin, while agreeing with the views of the Chairman Senate, said that there were vast investment opportunities in both the countries and it was essential to increase trade volume and take advantage of existing investment opportunities for the betterment of the economy. “Pakistan is an important country in the region. Malaysian investors are keen to invest in Pakistan” she added.