Daily Times

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday lauded the Pakistan-Turkey Business Council’s achievements for better trade ties between the two countries. He was addressing the Pakistan Turkey Business Council under the DEIK – Foreign Economic Relations Board where Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Minister for Commerce and Investment Syed Naveed Qamar, and Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb were also in the attendance. The prime minister invited the Turkish investors to explore Pakistan’s diverse sectors, particularly the energy sector offering immense opportunities and scope for development.

“Pakistan’s energy sector with its vast potential in hydel, thermal, coal, wind, and solar areas could prove ideal for Turkish investors,” he added.

PM Shehbaz lamented that leading Turkish investors had already made investments in Pakistan, and assured full cooperation by his government to pursue their projects.

Pakistan, he said, direly needed improvement in its energy sector and emphasized that the Turkish investment would be a win-win situation. The premier said Pakistan could benefit from Turkey’s expertise in building and managing dams for water conservation. He also highlighted his focus on energy, housing, textiles, infrastructure development, agro-based industry, and oil and gas sectors.

“Pakistan and Turkey relations are built on unbreakable bonds of love, affection, and respect as the two countries shared a history, century-old tradition, and common aspirations,” he maintained. PM Shehbaz said Pakistan and Turkey must engage with renewed resolve and commitment to building upon this solid foundation, to take this relationship to new heights, particularly in the vital fields of commercial, economic, and investment cooperation.

He expressed hopes that Turkish textile companies could explore the sector for joint ventures, especially for intra-industry trade as well as becoming partners in regional and global value chains. PM Shehbaz invited the Turkish firms relating to the agro-industrial sector and dairy farming and said ample opportunities existed in these sectors.

The prime minister stressed that Pakistani and Turkish companies could also work together in the oil and gas sector. They could collaborate not only in exploration and production but in building refineries and pipelines, he said.