ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Ukrainian ambassador to Pakistan Volodymyr Lakomov has said that his Country plans to enhance its bilateral trade with Pakistan to over $1 billion a year.
While talking to Dispatch News desk (DND) new agency and DND Radio news in Islamabad, the Ukrainian envoy said that though this year the two Countries are celebrating 25th anniversary of their bilateral relationship established on March 16, 1992 but over the years, their bilateral trade didn’t reach to its full potential.
The Ukrainian envoy said that following the beginning of their bilateral diplomatic ties, Pakistan and Ukraine concluded a historical contract in military-technical sphere in 1996 but besides that, various difficulties including the internal crises in Ukraine didn’t allow the two Countries to enhance bilateral cooperation in multiple fields.
However, he added that the bilateral trade between the two Countries will touch $1 billion in next few years.
Volodymyr Lakomov told that during the next half of 2017, they witnessed a boom in visits of Pakistani industrialists and Businessmen to Ukraine for agricultural, security and armament exhibitions etc.
![Ukraine eyes $1 billion bilateral trade with Pakistan](https://dnd.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Украина-рассматривает-двустороннюю-торговлю-с-Пакистаном-на-1-млрд-долларов.png)
In reply to a question, the ambassador said that apart from military hardware, now Ukraine also exports vegetables, grains and oilseeds, agricultural and dairy products etc to Pakistan while on the other hand, Pakistan’s exports to Ukraine have mainly been textile items, rice, citrus fruits, plastic and polymer materials, and cotton.
The ambassador stressed that the Business Community of both Pakistan and Ukraine must come closer to each other for mutually beneficial business relationship and investment projects.