WASHINGTON: The recent visit to Pakistan of New York State Assembly’s Deputy Speaker, Phil Ramos, has paved the way for establishing sister-state relationships between New York State and the provinces of Punjab and Sindh, Pakistani Ambassador Masood Khan was told recently, according to APP.
In a Zoom link meeting with members of the American-Pakistan Public Affairs Committee (APPAC) delegation, which accompanied speaker Ramos, the ambassador welcomed the visit’s outcome, which would facilitate the Pakistani business community in organizing tradeshows and holding exhibitions in New York and other U.S. cities to showcase Pakistani products.
Practical steps would be taken to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the healthcare sector, leading to greater opportunities for paramedical staff from Pakistan to serve in the United States, said a press release from the Pakistani embassy issued here.
Ambassador Masood Khan was also apprised that three committees, comprising representatives of the Pakistan Chamber of Commerce, APPAC, and Deputy Speaker’s Office, have been constituted to prepare a roadmap for the implementation of the decisions.
In his remarks, the ambassador commended APPAC’s role in strengthening trade and investment ties and promoting people-to-people contacts between Pakistan and the United States.
Appreciating the move to establish a sister-state relationship, Masood Khan said that the arrangement would help forge multifaceted long-term ties in diverse areas. Sister-state agreements between California and Punjab, as well as Sindh and Georgia, provide a blueprint for New York’s partnership with Punjab and Sindh.
The Ambassador assured all possible support from Pakistani trade officers in working out a concrete set of actions with timelines.
He also highlighted huge trade and investment opportunities that awaited US investments, especially in IT, renewable energy, agriculture, and extractive industries.
Pointing out the exponential growth of tech startups in the country and the significant investment from Silicon Valley’s Venture Capital (VC) firms, the Ambassador said that the digitalization of the economy and efforts to introduce IT-based solutions for service delivery have created huge opportunities for profitable investments.
“Contribute towards making Pakistan economically strong by scaling up your investments in the country,” the ambassador said.
APPAC members thanked Ambassador Masood Khan for his continued support in fulfilling its mission of serving the two countries and their peoples.
Separately, the Ambassador also had a virtual meeting with the representatives of Pakistan Information and Cultural Organization (PICO) Arizona, Pakistan Society of North Texas (PSNT), and the Pakistani American Association in Tampa Bay, Florida. Consul General Los Angeles Asim Ali Khan and CG Houston Aftab Ahmed Chaudhry were also present in the meeting.
The representatives of various diaspora bodies briefed the Ambassador about the social and philanthropic activities of the Pakistani community in their respective areas. They also highlighted the role being played by community members at the county, district, and state levels.
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