Turkish traders invited to invest in energy, housing sectors: offered visas on arrival

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani Wednesday invited Turkish businessmen to explore Pakistan's business potential by investing in energy, oil and gas sectors and offered them visas on arrival.
The Prime Minister, who arrived here from Ankara on the second leg of his three-day official visit to Turkey, was addressing the Turkish businessmen at a luncheon hosted in his honour by DEIK - Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board. Gilani said the government had taken a decision to allow Visa on Arrival for 30 days to all Turkish nationals who possessed valid US, UK or Schengen visas.
"We hope that remaining formalities will soon be completed for the conclusion of Visa Abolition Agreement for bona fide businessmen of Turkey and Pakistan," he said. "For our Turkish brothers, we are ready to do more. We seek your investments, we desire joint ventures, and we want to work together in the spirit of win-win partnership," he said.
Reiterating his government's desire for a greater, more extensive and robust trade and economic relations with Turkey, he assured the Turkish businessmen of providing them conducive and enabling environment to do business in Pakistan.
Gilani said his visit to Istanbul had a particular focus to interact with the local businessmen and find out the ways to give a strategic direction to the commercial and economic relations between Pakistan and Turkey. He said despite Pak-Turk friendship, the strong ties somehow had not been translated into robust trade and economic relations, as the bilateral trade volume of around $782 million did not reflect the potential and the opportunities that existed in the two countries. Gilani recalled that he and Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan during his visit to Pakistan last year had agreed to increase bilateral trade volume to $2 billion by 2012.
He expressed confidence that together through joint collaboration and efforts, "Insha-Allah we would not only achieve this target but will go well beyond it." On Pakistan's economic situation, he said various investment opportunities and the steps had been taken by his government to promote trade and foreign investments. He said despite some external and internal shocks in shape of global financial crisis, volatility in oil prices and energy shortfall, Pakistan's economy had shown resilience and a modest growth this year. Gilani said economic liberalisation, deregulation and privatisation in a transparent manner remain the core principles of our economic reform agenda.