Chinese embassy participates in MoFA Mango Festival in Islamabad

Islamabad: Embassy of China in Pakistan set up a stall offering mango based dishes from its own cuisine during a Mango Festival here.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) in partnership with Serena Hotels and Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Association organized the Mango Festival at Serena Hotel.

This was part of the series of activities and events being organized throughout the year to commemorate 75 years of the Pakistan’s Independence – Pakistan’s Diamond jubilee.

Under the theme of Pakistan At 75 and “75thPayKuchKhaas (something special on 75 years),” the event focused on projecting Pakistan’s culinary and agrarian richness linked to production of more than 200 varieties of mangoes-“king of fruits” that are exported all over the world.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari graced the event as Guest of Honour. Charge d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan Pang Chunxue, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Serena Hotels Aziz Boolani, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Ambassador Atadjan Movlamov of Turkmenistan and a lot of other distinguished guests attended the festival.

FM Bilawal especially visited the Chinese stall and Charge d’Affaires Pang Chunxue and appreciated the mangos’ Chinese delicacies. They also a cut a mango cake together along with other guests.

Besides China, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) embassy also set up stalls offering mango based dishes from their own cuisine. Pakistani mangoes are hugely popular in both China and the UAE.

In his remarks, the Foreign Minister highlighted the significance of the festival as part of the events celebrating the 75th anniversary of Pakistan’s Independence.

The Foreign Minister underscored the fact that Pakistani mangoes were popular the world over due to superior quality as well as the huge number of varieties being grown in Pakistan. It was highlighted that Pakistan’s missions abroad were organizing mango tasting festivals in their host countries and showcasing the variety and richness of the Pakistani mangoes.

The guests were served with different varieties of freshly cut mangoes, salads, milkshake, lassi (drink made from a yogurt), chuttnis (sauces), pickles, desserts and ice cream.

The participants appreciated the different mango varieties on display as well as the mango-based cuisine offered to the guests. This event showcased the potential of Pakistani mangoes as a popular fruit not only in Pakistan but in the international market as well.