GENEVA (The Thursday Times) — Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the world’s largest container line, has agreed to send a delegation to Pakistan to study investment in the country’s ports and logistics, the Board of Investment said on Friday.
The offer came out of a meeting between Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, the federal minister for investment who also chairs the Board of Investment, and MSC chief executive Soren Toft at the company’s headquarters in Geneva on Friday, according to an official statement.
Sheikh pitched Karachi Port, Port Qasim, and Gwadar as gateways for international trade, pointing to Pakistan’s location and its access to regional markets. He invited MSC to send a team to look at possible areas of cooperation, and the company welcomed the invitation and agreed to arrange a visit to take the talks forward on potential projects, the statement said.
The two sides discussed port infrastructure, container handling, shipping and logistics services, warehousing, transshipment, and integrated supply-chain services. Sheikh said MSC’s network and experience in maritime operations could help Pakistan improve its trade connectivity and strengthen its logistics, and he outlined the government’s efforts to make it easier for foreign companies to invest.
No investment amount or project commitment was announced after the meeting.
Founded in 1970 and based in Geneva, MSC runs a fleet of about 1,000 vessels serving more than 520 ports in over 155 countries, and controls about 21% to 22% of the world’s container shipping capacity, the statement said.
Interest in Pakistan’s ports has picked up this week. Separately, Nishat Group has said it is open to investing in the planned new port the government wants to build.
