ANKARA: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusogluand discussed ways to promote bilateral relations between Pakistan and Turkey.
The meeting also discussed the promotion of cooperation in different sectors, particularly trade, investment, education, communication and culture.
PM Shehbaz Sharif said the historical and brotherly relations between Pakistan and Turkey were witnessing a new dimension leading to the progress of the two nations.
He said Pakistan and Turkey had a similarity of views on international issues and the people of the two countries stood by each other in difficult times.
He said there was a strong relationship of mutual trust and respect between Pakistan and Turkey, which had turned into strong economic relations.
Shehbaz said Turkey made rapid progress under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, terming it a role model for other nations.
The Turkish foreign minister said Turkey and Pakistan had deep-rooted relations and expressed his government’s desire to strengthen ties in multifarious areas.
On Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Çavusoglu hosted a dinner in honor of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Ankara on Tuesday. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the promotion of Pakistan-Turkey relations.
$5 billion trade
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged the business community of Pakistan and Turkey to increase bilateral trade between the two countries to the $5 billion mark within the next three years.
“The $1.1 billion trade is nothing… Let us resolve to take the two-way trade to $5 billion… Let us do it speedily. The time and tide wait for none,” the prime minister said addressing a reception hosted by the President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) Riffat Hisarciklioglu.
The prime minister said the government had done away with all the impediments to the business sector and urged the Turkish investors to invest their capital in multiple sectors like agriculture, IT, dairy, textile, and many other fields.
“My investors are my masters. Come to Pakistan. We will genuinely roll out the red carpet for them,” the prime minister remarked.
The prime minister also assured the Turkish investors that they would face no hurdles in their future ventures in Pakistan, as they had been doing over the last four years.
He said under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey had achieved tremendous progress with its companies executing gigantic projects in multiple fields including dams and infrastructure building across the globe.
The prime minister said unfortunately the historic friendship did not reflect in the bilateral trade which currently stood at $1.1 billion. He also mentioned the contribution of the Turkish companies in Pakistan in the field of solid waste management and their keen interest in solar energy projects.
Regarding some issues faced by the Turkish businessmen with visas, the prime minister assured to work out an option of visa-on-arrival for Turkish investors.
