ISLAMABAD, Tuesday, May 20, 2025 (WNP): President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday called for deepening Pakistan’s bilateral cooperation in trade, economy, and culture with Thailand, the Philippines, Slovenia, Serbia, Burkina Faso, Zambia, and Latvia.

The president made these remarks during a credentials ceremony at Aiwan-e-Sadr, where newly-appointed and non-resident ambassadors of the seven countries formally presented their diplomatic credentials.

Those who presented their credentials included Mr. Rongvudhi Virabutr (Thailand), Dr. Emmanuel R. Fernandez (Philippines), Mr. Igor Jukic (Slovenia), Mr. Damir Kovacevic (Serbia), Mr. Mohamadi Kabore (Burkina Faso), Mr. Ivan Zyuulu (Zambia), and Ms. Dana Goldfinca (Latvia). The envoys were welcomed with a ceremonial guard of honour by a contingent of the armed forces.

President Zardari congratulated the ambassadors on their new assignments and expressed hope that their tenure would help unlock new avenues of mutual cooperation. He underscored the importance of increasing trade and business linkages to elevate Pakistan’s global partnerships.

President reviews key reports on public grievances, financial oversight

In separate engagements, President Zardari also met with Banking Ombudsman Siraj Uddin Aziz, who presented the annual report for 2024. According to the report, the ombudsman’s office provided relief amounting to Rs. 1.65 billion to banking consumers and resolved more than 27,000 complaints against commercial banks during the year.

The president commended the efforts and assured his full support for prompt resolution of public grievances related to the banking sector.

Later, the Auditor General of Pakistan, Muhammad Ajmal Gondal, called on the president and submitted the audit report on the federal government’s accounts, further strengthening the state’s financial transparency and oversight.