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Bosnia seeks joint ventures with Pakistan

JAVED MEHMOOD

ISLAMABAD: Bosnia and Pakistan should start joint ventures to produce exportable goods in order to capture markets in Europe, Central Asian Republics, Iran and Germany.

Bosnia has technology and knowledge that can be used in collaboration with Pakistan to produce leather, textile, chemicals, engineering, heavy machinery and electrical items that can be marketed anywhere in the world.

Omer M. Ajanovic, Counsellor, Embassy of Bosnia, Islamabad, stated this at his lecture on 'Bosnia' that he delivered here on Monday at Frederick Douglas School of Language.

He said Pakistan is wasting its huge potential in textile, leather and agriculture sectors and joint venture between the two countries are essential to exploit this potential.

"War in Bosnia has ruined our industry, infrastructure and communication, but we have latest technology, skill in the field of heavy machinery, electrical transmission, thermal power technology, iron ore, chemical and forests which we are ready to share with Pakistan," said Ajanovic.

Recalling war devastation, he said, Serbs destroyed every thing that came in their way, raped women, killed Bosnians brutally, set ablaze their properties after looting jewellery, ornaments, cash and other valuables even in the presence of the peace-keeping forces of the United Nations.

Ajanovic pointed out that the Western countries have raised $5 billion to compensate loss to infrastructure, roads and industries in Bosnia, but it was a peanut because one Bosnian multi-nation has suffered $3 billion damage alone.

To a question the Bosnian Counsellor said "we support the military government in Pakistan saying that whatever government is here we will support it."

"Pakistanis have big hearts for Bosnians and supported them on many occasions and I have a great regard for Pakistan," said Ajanovic.

To a question on Kashmir he condemned Indian atrocities on Kashmiris and said the people of occupied valley are faced with the same scenario that Bosnians had encountered in the recent past.

"We support Kashmiris who are being denied basic rights by Indian forces," he said.

Before war Bosnia was a very developed country and out of ten leading companies of Yugoslavia, five or six were Bosnians, he said, adding "ours is an export-oriented country and our main interest has been interaction with the Western Europe.

"Our most of companies had also been in operation in the Gulf countries, Malaysia, Indonesia and Libya," he said.

At present, he said, "the task of reconstruction of Bosnia is paramount to us and we are all for rebuilding our country. Our prime goal is to rebuild infrastructure, food, industrial sectors, undertaken by the world community. We do have the potential and we would employ it to achieve the desired results and put the country on road to progress and prosperity, as early as possible", he said.

Pakistan and Bosnia's bilateral relations are very sound and time-tested, he said and added Pakistan has helped Bosnia from the outset. "We are thankful to Pakistan government and the people as well for extending whole-hearted cooperation as Pakistan has accommodated Bosnian refugees and the students in universities and colleges," said the Counsellor of Bosnia.

In the field of civil engineering Bosnia and Pakistan are already collaborating and we have one Bosnian company engaged here in the construction of roads, but still there was a lot of scope in this field, he added.

Another area where Bosnia can cooperate Pakistan is in the production of electrical equipment related to transmission of electricity and steel industry, etc., said Omer M. Ajanovic.

Earlier, Khalid Rehman, Principal, Frederick Douglas School of Language, welcomed the Bosnian Counsellor and briefed him about the activities of the institution.