China calls for stabilizing ties with US

Xu Wei Beijing: China reaffirmed its commitment to building a stable, healthy and sustainable relationship with the United States this week, with its top diplomat calling on both sides to assume the vision and role befitting major countries to give the world “rock-solid certainty and positive energy”. Addressing a reception commemorating the 45th anniversary of […]

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Indonesia targets exports to China at over US$65 billion in 2024

Jakarta: The Indonesian Government targets this year’s exports to China at around US$65 – 70 billion, said Director General of National Export Development at the country’s Ministry of Trade Didi Sumedi. He said that total exports to China during January-November 2023 stood at US$56.57 billion, and the whole year’s value is projected to reach some […]

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Tourism Taxes: What travellers need to know for 2024

Brussels: Travellers are expected to pay higher tourism taxes to several European destinations in 2024 as national economies try to boost local economies and support sustainability. According to a 2020 report by Group NAO and GDS-Movement, more countries are imposing tourism taxes lately, especially in the US and Europe, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Guy Bigwood from the […]

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Ambassador Andreas Ferrarese vows to strengthen Pakistan-Italy economic ties

Celina Ali Islamabad: Italy’s Ambassador to Pakistan Andreas Ferrarese has said that to strengthen their economic ties, Pakistan and Italy are eyeing an expansion of their bilateral trade and investment relations. Despite a current bilateral trade volume of approximately one billion euros, the envoy emphasized that this figure does not truly reflect the potential both […]

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Greece hailed again as global economic ‘country of the year’

Athens: The Economist rated Greece as the top-performing economy in 2023. Euronews Business breaks down the study and considers how the rest of Europe performed last year. Greece led The Economist’s annual ranking of rich-world economies in 2023. The study gathers data on five indicators: “core” inflation – which excludes volatile components such as energy […]

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Pakistan expects huge investments from China: Commerce Minister

Newswire Karachi: Caretaker Federal Minister for Commerce, Industries and Production Dr Gohar Ejaz said this week that Pakistan was expecting huge investments from china. He reiterated the government’s commitment to economic revival and that measures envisaged by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) would start a new phase of industrialization in the country. The minister […]

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‘Roadmap for Cooperation’ between Pakistan and Italy another feather in Ambassador Andreas Ferrarese’s crown

Celina Ali Islamabad: Italy’s Ambassador to Pakistan Andreas Ferrarese, with unwavering dedication, played a central role in orchestrating the recent historic ‘Roadmap for Cooperation’ between Pakistan and Italy. His diplomatic prowess and tireless efforts paved the way for a comprehensive agreement covering Trade & Investments, Heritage, Culture, Climate Change, Agriculture, Higher Education, Technical Cooperation, and […]

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Forging synergies: A tale of alliance and partnership

Celina Ali Islamabad: In 2023, the United States and Pakistan strengthened their partnership for mutual benefit. USAID played a pivotal role in this success, consistently supporting the pursuit of a prosperous, healthier, safer, and more robust Pakistan. Through various collaborations, projects, and programs, USAID contributed significantly to Pakistan’s development goals. The United States through USAID […]

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Controlling technology transfer to counter India’s illegal treatment toward Chinese companies

Ding Gang India has taken a strong stance against Chinese companies by banning Chinese apps, freezing the funds of Chinese companies and arresting their executives. Why is India so emboldened? The reason is that India’s mobile phone market has a lot of potential. Apple plans to shift 25 percent of its production to India by […]

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Saudi Arabia, Indonesia collaborate to elevate the assurance of halal products

Jakarta: Saudi Arabia and Indonesia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Halal product assurance cooperation in addition to the mutual recognition of each other’s Halal certificates. The agreement was signed between Indonesia’s Halal Product Assurance Organizing Body (BPJPH) and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority. Importantly, the agreement also expands to cooperation in training, […]

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China, Vietnam to boost cooperation

Global Times Beijing: This year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. High-level interactions between the two countries have been frequent, and exchanges in various fields such as the economy and trade have been increasing. At the end of November, the 12th meeting of the China-Vietnam Economic and […]

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Pakistan witnesses unprecedented surge in sesame seed exports to China

Gwadar Pro Islamabad: In October 2023, Pakistan experienced a remarkable surge in sesame seed exports to China, reaching an unprecedented high of 64,711 tons valued at USD 113.66 million, a substantial increase from the 16,728 tons worth USD 25.57 million in the same month the previous year, a senior Pakistani diplomat said. Ghulam Qadir, the […]

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Iran and Saudi Arabia to negotiate on direct scheduled flights

Newswire Dubai: Iran and Saudi Arabia will start formal talks next week to resume direct scheduled flights between Tehran and Riyadh and other cities, an Iranian official told the state-affiliated news agency ILNA this week. Regular flights would be another step towards restoring ties between the two Middle Eastern rivals. A Chinese-mediated agreement in March […]

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China and EU: Mutual respect leads to common prosperity

Dong Yifan The 24th China-EU Summit, marking the first in-person meeting between Chinese and European leaders in four years, was held on Thursday in Beijing. The significance of this face-to-face interaction cannot be overstated, considering its influential role in guiding China-EU relations. However, the European Union, in its approach to the development of China-EU relations, […]

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Kazakh envoy says huge potential exists for Pakistan’s textile industry

Newswire Lahore: Yerzhan Kistafin, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Pakistan, said this week there is huge potential for Pakistan textile industry in $ 2 billion Kazakhstan textile imports, as the current contribution from Pakistan is yet negligible. He urged Pakistani textile groups to focus on high value products which are more in demand […]

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250 Pakistani and Chinese companies to participate in Pakistan Industrial Expo

Gwadar Pro Lahore: At least 250 Pakistani and Chinese companies participated in the three-day 7th Pakistan Industrial Expo held on November 25 at the Expo Centre. Steve Zhou, Project Head of Everest International Expo, announced this year’s expo featured approximately 250 Pakistani and Chinese companies. They showcased a wide array of products and services, highlighting […]

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Pakistan, Italy work jointly for development of olive sector

Celina Ali Islamabad: Pakistan and Italy are working jointly for the development of the olive sector, marked by the Pakistan Olive National Gala in Islamabad. The event, organized by the “Promotion of Olive Cultivation on commercial scale in Pakistan Phase-II” and the Italian-funded “Olive Culture-Holistic and multi-professional mechanism for a Pakistani Olive Oil Value Chain” […]

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Iranian Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam visits FPCCI

Newswire Karachi: Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, President FPCCI, has apprised that, in a high-profile visit to FPCCI Head Office, Reza Amiri Moghadam, Ambassador of Iran in Pakistan, has proposed to set up border markets with Pakistan to enhance trade between the two countries. Sheikh added that enhancing trade with Iran can help resolve Pakistan’s chronic trade […]

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Kazakhstan’s economy shows steady growth

Newswire Astana: Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov, leaders of top international companies, and experts reviewed Kazakhstan’s emerging opportunities and challenges in building investment infrastructure for long-term sustainable growth as part of the Kazakhstan Global Investment Roundtable (KGIR) this week in Astana. In his welcoming speech, Smailov said that “despite the current global challenges, Kazakhstan’s […]

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EU approves Italy’s EUR 1.7 billion agrivoltaic state aid scheme

Newswire Brussels: The European Commission has approved Italy’s EUR 1.7 billion state aid mechanism for supporting agrivoltaic installations. The measure, under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, is part of the country’s strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase its renewable energy share. Agrivoltaic or agrisolar systems combine solar panel installations and agricultural activities in […]

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Ambassador Tapas Adhikari visits Haripur Chamber of Commerce

Abdullah Jan Islamabad: The Ambassador of Nepal to Pakistan, Tapas Adhikari, visited the Haripur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI) in Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this week and met Muhammad Tayyab Khan Swati, the President and other office bearers of the HCCI. On the occasion, the Nepali envoy also had a long interactive discussion with the […]

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Italy: Moody’s lifts debt outlook to stable

Newswire Islamabad: Moody’s this week left Italy’s sovereign debt rating at Baa3, one notch above junk, but upgraded the outlook to stable from negative, in an unexpected boost for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government. Most analysts had expected the agency to leave both Italy’s rating and outlook unchanged. Moody’s had put the euro zone’s third-largest […]

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Bilateral trade between Kazakhstan, Pakistan continues to witness expansion each year: Ambassador Yerzhan Kistafin

Celina Ali Islamabad: Ambassador Yerzhan Kistafin of Kazakhstan to Pakistan said this week that the bilateral trade between Kazakhstan and Pakistan continues to witness steady and robust expansion each year. “Interaction between Kazakhstan and Pakistan in the scientific and educational spheres is intensifying, coupled with an increase in the number of Pakistani students attending universities […]

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Ambassador Jemal Beker asks Pakistani businessmen to explore Africa through Ethiopia

Celina Ali Islamabad: Jemal Beker Abdula, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, has visited the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), and highlighted untapped business, trade and investment opportunities in Ethiopia and Africa as well. Upon arrival, a warm welcome was accorded to Ambassador Jemal Beker Abdula by the […]

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Ready to build ‘upgraded version’ of CPEC: Jiang Zaidong

Celina Ali Islamabad: Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong said this week that Beijing was ready to deepen trade and investment cooperation with Pakistan and build an “upgraded version” of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which is growth-oriented, innovative, livelihood-enhancing, green and inclusive. Addressing the National Day Reception, Zaidong said that they are ready to […]

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Kazakhstan says ready to increase oil supplies to Germany

Newswire Berlin: Kazakhstan’s president said during a visit to Berlin this week that his country was willing to increase oil deliveries to German over the long term, as resource-poor Berlin seeks alternatives to imports from Russia amid the invasion of Ukraine. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said during a press conference with Chancellor Olaf Scholz that Astana had […]

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