ISLAMABAD – Pakistan and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have signed a “preliminary” free trade agreement (FTA), caretaker Minister of Commerce Gohar Ejaz announced in a social media post.
The preliminary FTA was signed by the Secretary General of the GCC, Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi, and Gohar Ejaz on Thursday at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Riyadh.
Taking to X, the minister wrote: “I am happy to announce that we have concluded the negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for finalising the Pakistan-GCC Free Trade Agreement (FTA) at Riyadh”.
The FTA has been the first by GCC with any country since 2009.
https://x.com/Gohar_Ejaz1/status/1707645969938948348?t=gHLoxO9PEEtIxDbV1rnh7g&s=09
“We have excellent relations with all the countries of the GCC, and this FTA will ensure that our economic ties are commensurate with these excellent relations.”
“I would like to express my gratitude to H.E. Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, the Secretary General of GCC, for making this possible. I would also like to thank the negotiating teams from both side for their diligence and hard work,” the minister concluded.
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