Islamabad (GNP): Ambassador of Portugal to Pakistan, Paulo Domingues, has called for more frequent exchanges of business delegations between Pakistan and Portugal to unlock untapped trade and investment opportunities, emphasizing that both countries possess complementary economic strengths and considerable potential for a stronger commercial partnership.
He expressed these views during a meeting with President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Mohammad Zikria Akbar Zia, who called on him at the Embassy. The Ambassador identified textiles, energy, mining, pharmaceuticals, technology, agriculture, fruit cultivation and innovation as promising areas for enhanced bilateral cooperation, stressing that closer business-to-business engagement could translate this potential into mutually beneficial economic opportunities.
Ambassador Paulo Domingues also briefed the ICCI President on the forthcoming Pakistan-Portugal Business Forum, scheduled for November 22–23, 2026, in Islamabad, which will be attended by Portugal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs. The forum will bring together representatives of the foreign ministries and trade and investment agencies of both countries to explore concrete opportunities for trade, investment and joint ventures.
Highlighting the strategic importance of both countries as gateways to their respective regions and wider international markets, the Ambassador emphasized the need to build stronger commercial connections between Pakistani and Portuguese enterprises. He also expressed his intention to visit ICCI at the earliest opportunity to interact directly with Islamabad’s business community and explore practical avenues for advancing bilateral economic cooperation.
Speaking on the occasion, ICCI President Mohammad Zikria Akbar Zia called for concerted efforts to substantially increase Pakistan’s trade with Portugal, observing that the existing volume of bilateral trade remained far below its actual potential. He stressed that both countries should move beyond traditional trade patterns and focus on joint ventures, technology transfer, investment partnerships and diversification of their economic engagement.
The ICCI President urged the Portuguese Embassy to facilitate stronger B2B linkages, improve Pakistani exporters’ access to the Portuguese market and encourage cooperation in new sectors beyond the traditional concentration in textile products. He said that ICCI and the Portuguese Embassy could serve as effective institutional bridges between the two business communities by facilitating direct engagement, sharing market intelligence and helping companies identify reliable business partners.
Mohammad Zikria Akbar Zia said that ICCI would be pleased to host a dedicated B2B meeting between Pakistani and Portuguese businessmen from different sectors on the sidelines of the Business Forum. He said such an interaction would provide an excellent opportunity to establish direct business contacts, identify investment prospects and develop joint ventures. Ambassador Paulo Domingues appreciated the proposal and assured that he would make his best efforts to materialize it in the mutual interest of both countries.
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Reaffirming the need to translate the longstanding friendly relations between Pakistan and Portugal into tangible economic gains, the ICCI President said that stronger institutional cooperation and sustained engagement between the private sectors could open new avenues of prosperity for both countries. ICCI Member Liaquat Tehthal was also present during the meeting.
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.
