US invited to invest in CPEC: Pakistan official

A top Pakistani official has said that the US has been invited to invest in projects of the multi billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as Washington expressed keen interest in increasing trade relations with Islamabad.

"The US has shown interest in energy, oil and gas, agriculture and food processing," The Express Tribune quoted Abdul Razak Dawood, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce, as saying on Thursday.

"Pakistan-US market access is the main point. We want access to the US market," he said.

Dawood's remarks came a day after visiting US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross held a meeting here with Pakistani authorities.

Sharing details of the meeting, the advisor said that the US officials have also expressed interest in e-commerce.

"They have agreed that the US International Development Finance Corporation would help in developing of new businesses in Pakistan," Dawood said. "The US Secretary is ready to send a commerce delegation for coordination."

He said they discussed bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest, adding that they agreed to enhance mutual trade to a maximum level.

During his meeting with Ross on Wednesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan underscored the need to take full advantage of trade and investment opportunities in Pakistan, stressing the need to enhance business-to-business cooperation between the two countries.