ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Caretaker Commerce Minister Dr. Gohar Ejaz is in Abu Dhabi to attend the the13th high-level ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization, state-run media said on Monday, as representatives of various countries around the world gear up to discuss global trade in the shadow of Israel’s war on Gaza and conflicts in other parts of the globe.
The WTO’s ministerial conference, scheduled to run until Thursday, includes discussions on various contemporary issues ranging from trade and environment to climate change, sustainability, and inclusion in its agenda.
“Caretaker Minister for Commerce, Industry and Investment Gohar Ejaz is in Abu Dhabi to attend the 13th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference,” the state-run Radio Pakistan said.
It added that Ejaz met his counterparts from other countries, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Turkiye, and China in Abu Dhabi.
The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trade partner after China and the United States. It is also viewed as an ideal export destination by policymakers in the South Asian country due to its geographical proximity with Pakistan that reduces transportation and freight costs.
The Gulf country is also home to an estimated 1.8 million Pakistani expatriates and after Saudi Arabia, the second-largest source of remittances for the South Asian nation of more than 240 million. Pakistan’s principal exports to the UAE consist of textile products and various food items.
Last month, Pakistan and the UAE inked multiple agreements worth over $3 billion for cooperation in railways, economic zones, and infrastructure at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
