Secretariete Correspondent: Visiting Pakistan`s Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik met Adviser to the Ministries of Commerce, Textiles and Jute, and Civil Aviation and Tourism Sk. Bashir Uddin on Monday at the Adviser`s office in Bangladesh Secretariat.

During the meeting, both sides placed special emphasis on strengthening bilateral trade and economic cooperation between Bangladesh and Pakistan. They also discussed ways to enhance the volume of existing trade and identify new areas of investment, said a Commerce Ministry press release.

Adviser Sk. Bashir Uddin said that Bangladesh and Pakistan share deep historical and cultural bonds and now it`s time to elevate the economic relations to the same level.

He mentioned that after more than a decade and a half of inactivity, the Bangladesh-Pakistan Joint Economic Commission (JEC) has been revived to boost trade and investment cooperation between the two countries. The Adviser also underscored the need to remove existing barriers and enhance trade facilitation.

Pakistan Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said there are vast untapped opportunities for trade and investment between Bangladesh and Pakistan. He expressed Pakistan`s commitment to taking bilateral relations to new heights through enhanced trade cooperation.

The meeting was also attended by Pakistan`s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Imran Haider and Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman.