Representatives of the Ministry of Labour of Pakistan visited the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Dr. Syed Shahbaz Hussain Shamsi, Director General at Pakistan's Ministry of Labour, paid a visit to the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) to meet with the President Tsvetan Simeonov. Farooq Khalid, Coordinator of the Pakistani Prime Minister's Youth Programme, and Wajiha Khan, Head of Office at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in Sofia, also took part in the discussions.

The guests stated that their visit aims to deepen the bilateral cooperation regarding the exchange of specialists and workforce across various economic sectors, noting that they bring extensive experience and strong governmental backing to these efforts.

For his part, Mr. Simeonov highlighted the Chamber's 130-plus-year track record of supporting the business community. He emphasized that BCCI maintains active cooperation with the Bulgarian government to simplify work visa procedures for skilled professionals and experts arriving from third countries.

Hussain Shamsi highlighted the significant potential of qualified specialists ready for employment abroad, pointing out that 70% of Pakistan’s population of 240 million is under the age of 30.

During the meeting, the participants agreed to organize an online meeting in the near future to showcase business opportunities with Pakistan. The country is a major exporter of high-quality mangoes, rice, cotton, and other goods. It was noted that the tourism between the two nations also holds great potential for development. Potential areas of cooperation include the exchange of bilateral business delegations, as well as student exchanges between universities. Furthermore, as of this year, Pakistan has initiated a program dedicated to the recognition of international diplomas.

As part of their visit to the country, the Pakistani experts also held a meeting at the Bulgarian Employment Agency.

According to information from the Embassy of Pakistan in Sofia, the application and approval procedure for obtaining a visa is entirely online.