Islamabad, November 7,2026: Ambassador of Portugal to Pakistan, Paulo Domingues, has called for more frequent exchanges of business delegations between the two countries to unlock untapped trade and investment opportunities, stressing that Pakistan and Portugal have complementary economic strengths and considerable potential to expand bilateral commercial cooperation.
He expressed these views during a meeting with Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Mohammad Zikria Akbar Zia, who called on him at the Portuguese Embassy.
The Ambassador identified textiles, energy, mining, pharmaceuticals, technology, agriculture, fruit cultivation and innovation as promising sectors for enhanced cooperation. He said stronger business-to-business (B2B) engagement would help translate the existing potential into concrete commercial opportunities for both countries.
Paulo Domingues also briefed the ICCI president on the upcoming Pakistan-Portugal Business Forum, scheduled to be held in Islamabad on November 22–23, 2026, with the participation of Portugal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs. The forum is expected to bring together representatives of the foreign ministries and trade and investment agencies of both countries to explore opportunities for trade, investment and joint ventures.
Highlighting the strategic importance of Pakistan and Portugal as gateways to their respective regions and wider international markets, the Ambassador stressed the need to establish stronger commercial connections between businesses in the two countries. He also expressed his intention to visit ICCI to interact with Islamabad’s business community and explore practical avenues for advancing bilateral economic cooperation.
Speaking on the occasion, ICCI President Mohammad Zikria Akbar Zia called for concerted efforts to substantially increase bilateral trade, observing that the existing trade volume between Pakistan and Portugal remained well below its actual potential.
He stressed the need to move beyond traditional trade patterns and focus on joint ventures, technology transfer, investment partnerships and diversification of bilateral economic engagement.
The ICCI president urged the Portuguese Embassy to facilitate stronger B2B linkages, improve Pakistani exporters’ access to the Portuguese market and promote cooperation in emerging sectors beyond the traditional concentration on textile products.
He said ICCI and the Portuguese Embassy could play an important role in bringing the two business communities closer by facilitating direct engagement, sharing market intelligence and helping companies identify reliable business partners.
Zia offered to host a dedicated B2B meeting involving Pakistani and Portuguese business representatives from various sectors on the sidelines of the upcoming Business Forum. He said the proposed interaction would provide an opportunity to establish direct business contacts, identify investment prospects and explore joint ventures.
Ambassador Domingues appreciated the proposal and assured the ICCI president of his efforts to facilitate the initiative in the mutual interest of both countries.
Emphasising the need to translate longstanding friendly relations between Pakistan and Portugal into tangible economic gains, Zia said stronger institutional cooperation and sustained engagement between the private sectors could open new avenues of trade, investment and shared prosperity.
ICCI Member Liaquat Tehthal was also present during the meeting.
