Call on Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs by the Direcor General, Department for Regional Affairs and Development at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Tore Hattrem, Director General, Department for Regional Affairs and Development at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on Syed Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

At his request, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister briefed Mr. Tore Hattrem and members of his delegation on Afghanistan. He stressed upon the need of an Afghan owned and Afghan led reconciliation process which was imperative for lasting peace. He stressed that the Afghan elections held the key to the future of Afghanistan and the happenings in Afghanistan directly impacted Pakistan. The present government desires a stable Afghanistan which is absolutely essential for peace and stability in the region, he stressed.

The Special Assistant to the Prime Minister also briefed the visiting delegation about Pakistan’s energy needs and called upon the Norwegian companies to invest in Pakistan’s fast growing energy sector. He stated that Norwegian Telenor holds a major chunk of the telecom market in Pakistan with investment of more than US$ 2 billion. Telenor experience can be replicated by other Norwegian firms for making in-roads into the energy sector of Pakistan.

Mr. Tore Hattrem, thanked the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for his exhaustive briefing on Afghanistan and stated that he would carry home the message for Norwegian companies to invest in Pakistan’s energy sector.

Islamabad
February 25, 2014

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