President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi said Pakistan wants to enhance cooperation with Niger in all areas of mutual interest, including trade and economic relations.
“Pakistan attaches great importance to its brotherly relations with Niger and wants to further broaden the scope of cooperation in all areas of mutual interest,” said President Alvi while talking to Niger parliamentary delegation headed by President National Assembly Seini Oumarou in Islamabad on Tuesday.
“Both countries enjoyed excellent relations and had unanimity of opinion on various issues at the international fora,” he added.
A high-level parliamentary delegation led by Oumarou is visiting Pakistan at the invitation of Honorable Speaker, National Assembly of Pakistan to strengthen the growing cooperation of economic partnership between Pakistan and Niger.
The Pakistan president stressed the need for a trade agreement on a priority basis between the two countries. He said that Pakistan accorded great significance to its ties with Niger under its “Look Africa” policy and wished to sign a Preferential Trade Agreement with Niger that would help enhance economic and business cooperation between the two countries.
He also hoped the Parliamentary Cooperation Agreement between Pakistan and Niger will improve bilateral relations.
Pakistan to provide 100 scholarships to Niger students
Welcoming the visiting dignitary, President Arif Alvi said that the entire scope of bilateral cooperation between the two countries needed to be further augmented through the regular exchange of political, parliamentary, and commercial delegations.
He communicated to the Niger delegation that Pakistan would provide educational scholarships to 100 Niger students in Pakistan in 2021-22.
He added that Pakistan was focusing on reforming and developing its health, education, and agriculture sectors to put the country on the development path.
The Speaker of the National Assembly of Niger thanked the Government of Pakistan for offering scholarships to Niger students.
Niger keen to push bilateral cooperation in agriculture – Oumarou
Seini Oumarou, on the occasion, sought Pakistan’s help and expertise in developing the irrigation system of his country to meet its food requirements.
He said his country wants strong relations with Pakistan in business, economy, and trade.
President Dr. Arif Alvi said that Pakistan would help Niger, in this regard, “by sharing its experiences and expertise with her in the agriculture and irrigation sectors.”
The Niger delegation also visited National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) to witness the Agri. research activities carried out in the center. The delegation intended to learn from Pakistan’s experience in improving agriculture, particularly the Seeds Productions.
Federal Minister for M/o National Food Security & Research Syed Fakhar Imam assured full support of the Pakistan Government to develop and strengthen the agriculture sector of Niger through mutual agreement.
Chairman PARC Dr. Muhammad Azeem Khan on the occasion told that the areas of cooperation agreed by both parties include the exchange of elite genetic resources of economically important cereal crops, fruits, vegetables, and livestock and training of Niger scientists in tissue culture technology. Pakistani scientists may train Niger scientists in the areas relating to irrigation, added the Chairman PARC.