akistan’s caretaker commerce minister, Gohar Ejaz, left for Egypt on Monday to rejuvenate the country’s trade and investment ties in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the Pakistani commerce ministry said.
Ejaz will be attending the 4th edition of the Pakistan-Africa Trade Development Conference and Single Country Exhibition (PATDC & SCE) in Cairo from January 9 till January 11, according to the Pakistani commerce ministry.
The event, designed to deepen Pakistan’s trade and investment ties within the MENA region, embodies the spirit of the ‘Look Africa Policy’ and will be attended by policymakers, industry leaders and entrepreneurs from several regional countries.
“The 4th edition of PATDC & SCE will see participation from MENA region, including Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mali & Mauritania,” the commerce ministry said in a statement.
A delegation of more than 100 business owners and traders from Pakistan will also be traveling to Cairo for the exhibition, which will cover major trade sectors like agriculture, textile, engineering and services.
Pakistan is trying to navigate a tricky path to economic recovery under a caretaker government in the wake of a $3-billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan program, approved in July, that helped avert a sovereign debt default.
The South Asian country has reached out to friendly nations in the Middle East while trying to explore markets for its exports and secure foreign investment.
