Islamabad: The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Pakistan, H.E. Ina Lepel accompanied by Ms. Janine Rohwer, Counsellor Political and Economic Affairs and Climate Change visited the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) and held an interactive session with the business community of Islamabad, reaffirming Germany’s strong commitment to further strengthening bilateral economic relations with Pakistan.
Addressing the gathering, Ambassador Ina Lepel reiterated Germany’s readiness to enhance cooperation with Pakistan in key areas including climate change, health and social protection, private sector development, and the upgradation of vocational and technical education institutions. She emphasized that these collaborative efforts would contribute significantly to sustainable economic growth and deeper economic ties between the two countries.
The Ambassador noted that vast untapped potential exists for cooperation between Pakistan and Germany and expressed her keen interest in exploring new avenues of collaboration in close coordination with Pakistan’s business community. Highlighting the critical role of the private sector, she stressed that businesses from both countries can play a pivotal role in expanding trade and investment relations. She assured the business community of the German Embassy’s full support, particularly in strengthening business-to-business (B2B) linkages and identifying promising sectors for cooperation.
Ambassador Lepel also acknowledged the importance of trade fairs and exhibitions as effective tools for promoting trade, investment, and mutual understanding between nations. She appreciated ICCI’s proactive initiatives, especially its efforts to support women-led enterprises and promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
Earlier, in his welcome address, President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sardar Tahir Mehmood highlighted that Pakistan-Germany relations are deeply rooted in mutual respect and long-standing cooperation across diplomatic, economic, and cultural domains. He noted that Germany is one of the largest economies in the European Union and a key economic partner for Pakistan, particularly in sectors such as machinery, engineering, automotive, and chemicals. He further pointed out that Pakistan’s exports to Germany—especially textiles, leather goods, sports goods, footwear, and medical instruments reflect strong complementarities between the two markets.
The ICCI President added that the Chamber represents a vibrant and diverse business community comprising SMEs, exporters, startups, and industrial stakeholders. He expressed firm belief that enhanced engagement between German and Pakistani businesses could unlock new opportunities for trade expansion, technology transfer, and investment cooperation. Reaffirming ICCI’s commitment, he stated that the Chamber stands ready to act as a bridge between German investors and Pakistani enterprises to facilitate meaningful and mutually beneficial collaboration.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairman ICCI Committee on Diplomatic Affairs, Zafar Bakhtawari, assured the Ambassador of ICCI’s full support to the German Embassy in promoting bilateral trade and investment. He underlined the need for direct flights between Pakistan and Germany to enhance people-to-people and business-to-business linkages. He also proposed convening a grand session on Pakistan-Germany multilateral relations at the ICCI auditorium.
Former President ICCI, Mian Akram Farid, lauded Germany for playing a significant and supportive role in Pakistan’s GSP+ status by consistently advocating for it within the European Union, providing development assistance linked to reforms, and leveraging strong bilateral ties.
Senior Vice President ICCI Tahir Ayub and Vice President Irfan Chaudhry, in their remarks, emphasized the need for sustained institutional collaboration between chambers of commerce of both countries. They highlighted opportunities for joint ventures, technology sharing, and SME cooperation, and stressed that stronger engagement with German businesses would help Pakistani enterprises integrate into global value chains.
Chairman ICCI Foreign Delegation Committee, Imran Minhas, emphasized the need for increased exchange of business delegations between the two countries to further strengthen commercial relations. ICCI Executive Member Fatima Azim shared her vision for encouraging and empowering women entrepreneurs to play a greater role in bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
Prominent participants at the session included Council Member Chaudhry Waheed-ud-Din; Executive Members Malik Mohsin Khalid, Abdur Rehman Siddiqui, Chaudhry Nadeem Ahmed, Ishaq Sial, and Zulqurnain Abbasi; former Vice President Ashfaq Chattah, along with a large number of representatives from the business community.