PM Erdogan and his Pakistani counterpart Sharif agree on furthering relations and pursuing “vast opportunities for investment”.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday said Turkey wanted to increase bilateral trade as well as culture, political and economic ties with South Asian nuclear state Pakistan, as he visits the country for an official visit with a broad delegation of businessmen.
After a bilateral meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, Erdogan said during their joint press conference that the two countries should pursue joint ventures and investment in sectors ranging from energy to agriculture, and from information technology to oil and gas.
During the visit, Pakistan and Turkey have agreed to conclude a preferential trade agreement to promote trade between the two countries. They had marked the establishment of a high-level strategic council back in September, a diplomatic platform to further ties.
“There are vast opportunities for investment in different sectors in Pakistan,” Erdogan said, after he landed at Air Marshall Nur Khan airport in Islamabad on Tuesday morning following his visit to Lahore.
“We will continue cooperation with Pakistan at all levels”, he said.
Erdogan travels with representatives of thirty nine Turkish companies as well as a broad trade delegation to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan.
The Turkish Prime Minister thanked the Pakistani government and its people for the warm welcome he received.
Pakistani Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, said he was confident that this economic framework would significantly contribute to easing trade between the two Muslim countries.
He said both the sides had agreed to intensify cooperation in the sectors of energy‚ urban and infrastructure development and housing.
Pakistan and Turkey also signed two memoranda of understanding for cooperation in sports and against natural disasters.
Prime Ministers of both countries witnessed the signing ceremony.
Earlier‚ Prime Minister Erdogan and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif held talks at the prime minister house in Islamabad.
They discussed the entire gamut of bilateral relations with particular focus on promoting trade and economic cooperation.
On arrival at the Prime Minister House, a contingent of armed forces presented guard of honor to Mr. Erdogan. Anthems of both the countries were played.
Mr. Erdogan also attended a reception hosted by President Mamnoon Hussain in his honor.
During the talks, the two prime ministers expressed satisfaction at the progress in strategic partnership, said a handout issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry.
Prime Minister Erdogan invited Prime Minister Sharif to Turkey, which he accepted, it added.
Earlier, the MOUs relating to enhancing cooperation between Punjab Industrial Department and Turkey Cooperation Agency‚ Pakistan Railways and Turkish Logistics Organization and Pakistan Standard Quality Control Authority and Turkish Standard Institution, were signed in Lahore on Monday.
Mr Erdogan arrived in Lahore on Monday on a two-day official visit accompanied by a 97-member delegation.
Turkish PM meets Pakistan’s President Hussain
PM Erdogan met Pakistan’s President Mamnoon Hussain in Islamabad as part of his two-day visit to Pakistan.
Erdogan and Hussain also had dinner at the presidential palace, accompanied by Erdogan’s spouse Emine Erdogan, Turkey’s Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan, and Turkey’s ruling AK Party Deputy chairmen Numan Kurtulmus and Mevlut Cavusoglu.
With construction being the leading sector for Turkish investments in Pakistan, the current $1 billion trade volume between the two countries has grown over sevenfold in the last decade.
AA
