Islamabad: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday held a meeting with High Commissioner-designate of New Zealand to Pakistan David Pine and discussed bilateral relations, trade, investment and opportunities for strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries.
The meeting was also attended by Ms. Avanthi Kalansooriya, Policy and Public Affairs Adviser at the New Zealand High Commission, and Mr. Moin M. Fudda, Honorary Consul General of New Zealand for Pakistan.
David Pine congratulated the Finance Minister on Pakistan's successful return to international capital markets through its recent Eurobond issuance and appreciated the progress achieved towards macroeconomic stability and economic reforms.
The High Commissioner-designate also briefed the Finance Minister on New Zealand's approach to strengthening its engagement with Pakistan and the wider South Asian region.
Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb highlighted Pakistan's progress towards macroeconomic stability and said the government's focus was now on sustaining the reform momentum while moving towards greater investment, exports, employment generation and sustainable economic growth.
He emphasized that policy continuity, fiscal discipline and structural reforms would remain important for maintaining the country's economic trajectory.
The two sides discussed ways to strengthen business-to-business engagement between Pakistan and New Zealand. David Pine stressed the importance of encouraging businesses from both countries to establish direct linkages and identify practical areas of commercial interest.
He also expressed interest in more regular bilateral trade discussions to identify and address trade-related issues as they emerge.
The Finance Minister said the private sector should take the lead in expanding commercial relations, while the government would facilitate the necessary ecosystem and provide support.
He observed that formal trade agreements could help accelerate existing business activity, while sustained business linkages were essential for creating a stronger foundation for trade and investment flows.
The meeting also discussed the presence of a large number of Pakistani scholars and students in New Zealand, particularly those studying agriculture-related fields.
Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb emphasized the need to strengthen the connection between educational opportunities abroad and practical outcomes in Pakistan, including through the return of trained professionals and greater application of their knowledge and expertise.
He also highlighted the potential of technology and innovation to support economic development and bilateral cooperation.
The Finance Minister underlined the potential for increased cooperation in the new economy, particularly in digital services, technology and youth talent.
He highlighted Pakistan's growing information technology and freelance ecosystem and said the country had opportunities to leapfrog in emerging sectors while continuing efforts to improve the competitiveness of traditional export industries.
David Pine said New Zealand was interested in identifying opportunities in sectors including agri-tech and other areas of private-sector cooperation.
He emphasized the importance of developing stronger connections between the business communities of Pakistan and New Zealand.
Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb welcomed the renewed engagement with New Zealand and stressed the importance of continued interaction at both government and private-sector levels to translate shared interests into concrete partnerships in trade, investment, knowledge and skills.
David Pine appreciated the Finance Minister's engagement and reaffirmed New Zealand's interest in strengthening bilateral economic relations with Pakistan.
He expressed support for greater business-to-business engagement and continued dialogue to identify practical opportunities for cooperation.