KARACHI: Consul General of Republic of Indonesia Hadi Santoso has said that rapidly boosting bilateral economic ties between Indonesia and Pakistan offer prospects to further forge the bonds of friendship and to establish broad-based commercial partnership.
He said this while speaking at a meeting during his visit to Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI).
The Indonesian envoy informed that total trade between Indonesia and Pakistan stood at $1.69 billion as on September 30, 2014, depicting a year-on-year increase of 60 percent. “We are fairly optimistic that the total trade figures could reach at least $2.3 up to 2.4 billion at the end of this year”, he added.
Relations between Indonesia and Pakistan will be more strengthened in the years ahead since Indonesia was the largest economy in South-East Asian region and member of G-20 which is expected to become the hub of future economic activities while Pakistan was the second largest economy of the region and was one of the emerging markets in the world.
Hadi Santoso, while conveying deepest condolence and sympathies to Pakistan, particularly the families of victims of the terrorists attack at Army Public School in Peshawar, said that Indonesian government condemns the inhuman act which cannot be justified for any reason. “Indonesian government expressed their support and solidarity to the people and government of Pakistan in this difficult situation”, he added.
Earlier, President KCCI Iftikhar Ahmed Vohra said that bilateral trade relations between Pakistan and Indonesia were expanding at fast track and the two countries can further enhance their bilateral trade.