ISLAMABAD: Minister for Climate Change, Musadik Masood Malik, reaffirmed that the government is committed to providing foreign investors with world-class facilities and vowed that it remains a top priority of the present rulers. Addressing the high-level EU-Pakistan Business Forum in Islamabad on Wednesday, he underscored the importance of deepening trade ties between Pakistan and the European Union. He expressed appreciation for the EU’s commitment to investing over EUR 20 million, specifically aimed at supporting Small and Medium Enterprises towards green stamping, innovation, and creative development. READ MORE: Country positioning itself as large-scale investment destination: SAPM Highlighting Pakistan’s severe vulnerability to climate-driven catastrophes, Musadik Malik said that the country tragically lost six thousand lives, while twenty thousand individuals have been left injured or disabled, and forty million people have been displaced in recent floods. Meanwhile, the first EU–Pakistan Business Forum concluded in Islamabad on Wednesday, marking a major step forward in strengthening economic ties between the European Union, the world’s largest single market, and Pakistan. The key outcome of the Forum was the launch of the EU–Pakistan Business Network, bringing together more than 300 European companies operating in Pakistan under one platform. The Network will serve as a unified voice for EU businesses, facilitate policy dialogue, and support new companies exploring investment opportunities in Pakistan. The Forum also saw the announcement and launch of several flagship initiatives under the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, the EU’s largest investment program outside of the EU, which aims to leverage 400 billion EUR of de-risked investments between 2021 and 2027. These included: The Team Europe “Better Governance and Business Environment” program (EUR 24. 1 million), which was jointly launched by the Minister of Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and Peteris Ustubs, director Asia Pacific in the European Commission. The project aims to strengthen the competitiveness of Pakistan’s export-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises through regulatory reforms, sustainability support, and improved access to finance. The inauguration of a Technical and Vocational Education and Training Centre of Excellence in Peshawar, designed to equip Pakistan’s workforce with future-ready skills linked to IT and artificial intelligence, and strengthen industry linkages. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026



