Prime Minister Ciuca, Pakistani Foreign Minister - talks on prospects for expanding bilateral relations

Prospects for expanding and consolidating Romanian-Pakistani bilateral relations were on Monday's agenda of talks at Victoria Palace of Government between Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and Foreign Minister of Pakistan Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi.The head of diplomacy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is visiting Bucharest at the invitation of Romanian Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu. It is the first visit carried out by a Pakistani foreign minister to Romania, after a break of more than two decades.Prime Minister Ciuca thanked Minister Qureshi for his personal role, along with the Pakistani state, in repatriating Romanian citizens with the Taliban regime's seizure of power in Kabul, shows a government press release sent on Monday, which further specifies that 49 Romanian citizens, another seven European citizens and 156 vulnerable Afghans were also brought to Romania.The Romanian prime minister underlined the good bilateral relations and the prospects for their expansion and consolidation in the future, welcoming the visit of the head of Pakistani diplomacy in Bucharest.In his turn, the guest noted the "very good" relations between the two states and the opportunities for their development in the field of economy, defense industry, investment and trade, education and labor."Pakistan could be, according to Foreign Minister Qureshi, an important starting point for Romania's exports to the South Asian region. The Pakistani Foreign Minister thanked Romania for the donation of 500,000 vaccines offered by our country and which is due to arrive, in the next period, in Islamabad," the cited release further shows.   *** Minister of Economy Florin Spataru and visiting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi discussed possibilities of developing trade and economic cooperation between the two countries, the Ministry of Economy said in a release.The Pakistani top diplomat invited the Romanian Minister of Economy to come to Pakistan on an official visit in the next period, in order to facilitate contacts between Romanian and Pakistani business people, the release states."I was honored and impressed by His Excellency's openness in approaching subjects of interest to both states. I expressed my confidence as Minister of Economy and representative of the Romanian state regarding the future of bilateral economic relations. Romania considers that strengthening diplomatic, economic and trade relations is essential, the more so as bilateral trade does not live up to the full potential of the two states. In this context, we are ready to work together to step up bilateral trade," Florin Spataru is quoted as saying.During the meeting, in presence of the two Ministers, the representatives of the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, respectively, signed a cooperation agreement providing for an exchange of scholarships between the Polytechnic University of Bucharest and the University of Islamabad.  (Photo:gov.ro)