The discussion took place during a meeting between Greek Ambassador to Pakistan Eleni Porichi and Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Faheem Ur Rehman Saigol at the LCCI in Lahore on September 4.
The Greek ambassador said there was significant potential to increase trade between the two countries and stressed the need for businesses from both sides to identify practical areas of cooperation.
She said diplomatic missions could help arrange trade delegations, business exchanges and contacts, but the private sector should also take the lead in identifying concrete business opportunities.
LCCI President Faheem Ur Rehman Saigol said Pakistan and Greece should work together in agriculture, mining and minerals. He said Pakistani businesses could benefit from Greek expertise, technology and experience in these sectors.
He also highlighted tourism as an important area for cooperation. According to Saigol, Greece has developed strong expertise in tourism and Pakistan could benefit from its experience.
The LCCI president proposed increasing business delegations and structured business-to-business (B2B) meetings between the two countries. He said such meetings could help businesses explore joint ventures, investment opportunities and new trade avenues.
Saigol said the Lahore Chamber was working to promote international business links and would provide support for efforts to strengthen economic relations between Pakistan and Greece.
Ambassador Eleni Porichi said textiles remained an important part of trade between the two countries, with cotton and textile products making up a major share of bilateral trade.
However, she said there was room to diversify economic cooperation into other sectors, including tourism and renewable energy.
The ambassador also highlighted the large Pakistani community in Greece, saying many Pakistanis living and working there were from Punjab.
She said Greek employers had a continuing demand for Pakistani workers in several sectors, particularly agriculture. She added that opportunities were also available for skilled workers, including electricians, engineers and professionals in other fields.
According to the ambassador, Pakistani workers are employed in Greece through both seasonal and long-term arrangements, depending on employers’ requirements, with thousands of Pakistani workers travelling to Greece each year.
The meeting also covered tourism and cultural cooperation. Porichi appreciated the development and restoration work in Lahore and said she had seen a major transformation in the city’s downtown area compared with her previous visit to Pakistan around 2010.
She expressed interest in expanding cooperation in tourism and culture and said Greece could share its experience in developing tourism infrastructure.
The ambassador suggested that relevant stakeholders from both countries should establish contacts to explore mutually beneficial opportunities.
The meeting highlighted the potential for greater private-sector involvement in strengthening economic relations between Pakistan and Greece, particularly through direct business contacts, investment and cooperation in emerging sectors.
