Islamabad (GNP): Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb met with David Pine, New Zealand’s High Commissioner-designate to Pakistan, who was accompanied by Avanthi Kalansooriya, Policy and Public Affairs Adviser at the New Zealand High Commission, and Moin M. Fudda, Honorary Consul General of New Zealand for Pakistan. The meeting focused on bilateral relations, trade, investment, and opportunities to deepen economic ties.
Pine offered congratulations to the Finance Minister on Pakistan’s successful re-entry into international capital markets via its recent Eurobond issuance, praising the strides made toward macroeconomic stability and reform. He also outlined New Zealand’s strategy for deepening engagement with Pakistan and the broader South Asian region.
The Finance Minister pointed to Pakistan’s progress in stabilizing its macroeconomic environment, noting that the government’s current priority is sustaining reform momentum while shifting focus toward investment, exports, job creation, and long-term economic growth. He stressed that maintaining policy consistency, fiscal discipline, and structural reforms would be key to keeping this progress on track.
Much of the conversation centered on boosting business-to-business ties between the two countries. Pine emphasized the value of encouraging companies from both nations to form direct partnerships and pinpoint areas of shared commercial interest, while also expressing New Zealand’s desire for more frequent bilateral trade talks to address emerging issues promptly.
The Finance Minister said that private-sector initiative should drive the expansion of commercial relations, with government support serving to build the right environment for that growth. He observed that formal trade agreements could accelerate existing business momentum, but lasting business relationships are what ultimately lay the groundwork for stronger trade and investment.
Discussion also turned to the significant number of Pakistani students and scholars studying in New Zealand, particularly in agriculture-related disciplines. The Finance Minister highlighted the need to connect these educational opportunities to tangible results back home, including encouraging trained professionals to return and apply their expertise domestically. He also pointed to the potential of technology and innovation as tools for driving further economic cooperation.
He further noted the opportunities available in the digital economy, especially in technology, digital services, and youth talent, citing Pakistan’s expanding IT sector and freelance workforce as evidence of the country’s potential to leap ahead in emerging industries — even as it works to strengthen the competitiveness of its traditional export sectors.
For his part, Pine expressed New Zealand’s interest in exploring collaboration across multiple sectors, including agri-tech and other private-sector opportunities, while underscoring the importance of fostering stronger business community connections between the two nations.
Senator Aurangzeb welcomed the renewed momentum in ties with New Zealand, stressing the need for ongoing engagement at both the government and private-sector levels to turn shared interest into concrete partnerships in trade, investment, and skills development.
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David Pine, in turn, expressed appreciation for the Finance Minister’s engagement and reaffirmed New Zealand’s commitment to strengthening economic relations with Pakistan, voicing support for greater business-to-business collaboration and continued dialogue on practical areas of cooperation.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
