Consul General of Turkiye Durmus Bastug and Commercial Attache Nurettin Demir visited the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) on Friday to discuss ways and means to boost the bilateral trade and investment relations. SCCI President Abdul Ghafoor Malik and Vice President Amer Majeed Sheikh warmly welcomed the distinguished guests. During a meeting, President SCCI Abdul Ghafooor Malik said Pakistan and Turkiye committed to enhancing bilateral cooperation in various sectors as focused by various Government-to-Government meetings in the past few years. He said:” We are thankful that Turkiye is also an important investment partner as number of Turkish firms are working in Pakistan in the domains of energy, finance, and infrastructure projects. We believe that both Turkiye and Pakistan must harness each other strengths and expertise to drive mutual progress and prosperity”. The president SCCI said that it was essential to foster closer business-to-business linkages. The Pakistan-Turkiye Trade in Goods Agreement that came into effect on May 01, 2023, was a step in the right direction to serve as a valuable framework for facilitating bilateral trade. “In this regard, I request you to support in creating linkages between the private sectors of Turkiye with Sialkot to source high-quality Pakistani products, including surgical instruments, workwear, gloves, sports goods, and sports apparel, which hold considerable demand in Turkiye”, he added. Malik said:” Sialkot enjoys a positive reputation for excellence in these sectors, and our exporters are fully geared to provide quality goods provided that an enabling environment is created for business communities of the two countries to interact and partner freely. I may propose sending a trade delegation from Sialkot to Turkiye facilitated by foreign missions of both countries”. He said that Sialkot had cultivated a vibrant Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) culture that was highly conducive to business collaborations and joint ventures across a diverse spectrum of industries. The exporters hailing from Sialkot exhibit a profound understanding of international trade regulations and requirements, leading to an impressive annual export value exceeding 2.31 billion US Dollars. Consul General of Turkiye Durmus Bastug reaffirmed Turkey’s commitment to enhancing bilateral trade and investment with Pakistan. Highlighting the significant presence of Turkiye’s companies operating in Punjab, Durmus Bastug underscored the vast opportunities for collaboration in sectors such as energy, infrastructure, construction, and agriculture. Durmus Bastug stressed the historic ties between Turkiye and Pakistan, emphasizing the mutual benefits of strengthening trade relations. He noted the progressive efforts of Turkish investors and companies keen on exploring investment prospects across various sectors in Pakistan with a focus on Punjab. Consul General of Turkiye assured that Turkiye would further promote bilateral trade and investment with Pakistan. The Business-to-business (B2B) relations with Pakistan would also be strengthened and more joint ventures would be made, he vowed. Durmus Bastug said that Pakistan and Turkiye are brotherly countries and all possible measures are being taken to promote bilateral trade. The meeting was attended by the business community.