ISLAMABAD, Monday, May 05, 2025 : The 13th edition of the Finland\u2013Pakistan Business Summit opened in Islamabad on Monday, spotlighting Pakistan\u2019s improving economic fundamentals and growing potential for bilateral cooperation in trade, technology, energy, and education.<\/p>\n
Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan inaugurated the summit at a local hotel, where he presented an upbeat picture of the country\u2019s economy, crediting the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for recent stabilization and reform measures.<\/p>\n
\u201cInflation is down, interest rates are falling, and the foreign exchange market has stabilized,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve laid the groundwork for sustainable growth, and global investors are beginning to take notice.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Minister noted that Pakistan has hosted three major expos in just the past month\u2014focusing on minerals, overseas Pakistanis, and health and education sectors\u2014drawing hundreds of international participants. \u201cOver 900 foreign delegates joined the HEMS Expo alone, reflecting renewed global confidence,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
He praised the Finland\u2013Pakistan Business Council, led by Chairman Wille Eerola, for a decade of efforts in fostering bilateral business ties and thanked Finnish Ambassador Hannu Ripatti for his ongoing support in deepening trade and investment relations.<\/p>\n
Calling it the \u201cright moment\u201d for European, and particularly Finnish, firms to invest in Pakistan, the Minister said the country\u2019s vast consumer base, cost-effective labor force, and strategic location offer unique value. \u201cPakistan is one of the largest untapped markets in the region. With technology transfer and value addition, we can unlock mutually beneficial outcomes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He identified the food sector as a major opportunity for collaboration. \u201cWith proper processing and European technology, Pakistan can add $15 billion to its food export revenues alone,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
The summit drew participation from top Finnish companies including Nokia, W\u00e4rtsil\u00e4, Metso, and Kone, and featured sector-specific sessions under the FPBS banner.<\/p>\n
At the FPBS Energy Talks, W\u00e4rtsil\u00e4\u2019s Alexandre Eykerman led discussions on Pakistan\u2019s transition to sustainable energy. Minister Khan emphasized the government\u2019s commitment to green energy and noted the downward trend in power prices as a promising sign.<\/p>\n
During the FPBS EDU Talks, the Minister expressed Pakistan\u2019s interest in expanding educational ties with Finland, particularly in digital learning, vocational training, and early childhood education. He pointed to ongoing collaborations with Finnish Global Education Solutions, UNICEF, and Aga Khan University.<\/p>\n
In the FPBS INNO Talks, innovation and technology transfer dominated discussions. \u201cFinnish companies bring world-class solutions, and Pakistan\u2019s tech-savvy youth are ready to connect with the global economy,\u201d the Minister said.<\/p>\n
He also addressed concerns over modest bilateral trade figures, clarifying that many Finnish exports are now manufactured outside Finland, skewing the data. \u201cBut on the ground, collaboration is dynamic and growing,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n
Ambassador Ripatti echoed this optimism, saying, \u201cThis is a strong moment for Finnish companies to invest in Pakistan. The environment is improving, the talent pool is strong, and the opportunities are multiplying.\u201d<\/p>\n
As the summit moved into its B2B networking phase, Minister Khan urged Finnish businesses to look beyond short-term gains. \u201cLet\u2019s not just transact \u2014 let\u2019s transform. Together, we can co-create ventures that drive shared prosperity.\u201d<\/p>\n
He concluded by assuring full government support for Finnish investors and institutions exploring opportunities in Pakistan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD, Monday, May 05, 2025 : The 13th edition of the Finland\u2013Pakistan Business Summit opened in Islamabad on Monday, spotlighting Pakistan\u2019s improving economic fundamentals and growing potential for bilateral cooperation in trade, technology, energy, and education. Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan inaugurated the summit at a local hotel, where he presented an upbeat […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4588,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[44,43],"class_list":["post-4591","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy","tag-latest","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4591","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4591"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4591\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4588"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4591"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4591"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4591"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}