Swiss investors foresee further investments

Monday August 03, 2009

KARACHI: The Swiss investors in Pakistan are satisfied with their current business result and foresee further investments to consolidate their market position. This was stated by the Consul General of Switzerland in Karachi, Martin Bienz, in a message in connection with the Swiss National Day.

He also hosted a reception at the Consulate General of Switzerland here to mark the occasion. In his message, he pointed out that the Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291 when three rural cantons formed a historic alliance to protect their freedom. The Swiss Consul General further stated that the Swiss government, a long time bilateral donor, joined international efforts to provide assistance and participated in the Tokyo meeting of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan. Furthermore, multilateral agencies and NGOs engaged in relief operations receive financial support from Switzerland. He also pointed out that the long-standing bilateral relations between our two countries were initiated right after Pakistan s independence in 1947, when Switzerland immediately recognised the new state.

The year 2009 marks the 60th anniversary of Swiss diplomatic presence in Karachi. As a matter of fact, in 1949 Switzerland opened its first diplomatic mission in Karachi, which was then called Legation and subsequently became the Embassy. When the Embassy moved to Islamabad in 1968, the Consulate General of Switzerland opened its doors in Karachi to assure a continuous official Swiss presence in this important economic centre.During these six decades, our two countries have been working together in various domains, Martin Bienz. Bienz said that in the 1970s and 1980s, Switzerland concluded several debt-rescheduling agreements with Pakistan. The signing of a bilateral agreement on technical and scientific co-operation led to the opening of the Swiss Co-operation Office in Islamabad in 1977. Over the years, he added, a remarkable number of programmes have been implemented throughout Pakistan and today s focal points are income generation (poverty alleviation) and good governance.

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