A 30-member Turkish businessmen delegation, in a meeting with the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Executive Committee members on Saturday developed consensus to promote co-operation in various sectors like agriculture, industrial, trade, science, education including technological advancements between Pakistan and Turkey.
Both the sides were also resolved that the deep-rooted relations between the two countries should be translated into trade and economic terms in the larger interests of both the nations. The delegation's visit was aimed at having first hand knowledge and information regarding the business opportunities available in Pakistan.
The delegates were of the view that that both the countries have marvellous untapped business potential, which needs to be exploited and realised by maximising involvement of private sectors of the two countries. The Turkish delegates expressed their hope that the economic relation between the two countries would strengthen further to create a win-win situation for both the countries.
While speaking on the occasion, the Turkish delegation head and Vice President Business Tuskon Federation Dogan Kaynak said the Turkish attach great importance to Pakistan, consider it their second home and this was the only reason that they had expressed solidarity with their brothers and sisters by celebrating Eid in Pakistan.
The people of Turkey in general and businessmen in particular would continue to support Pakistan in days and years to come. The delegates during their visit to Pakistan got very useful information regarding the available business opportunities and would be coming back with good investment proposals, he added
Speaking at the meeting, the LCCI President Shahzad Ali Malik thanked the delegation for celebrating Eid with flood victims in Pakistan and said it speaks volumes about Turkish people love for their brothers and sisters in Pakistan. He said the LCCI is taking immediate and concrete steps to enhance the volume of trade between the two countries from existing US $663 million to US $2 billions. He said that collaborative and focused efforts would be made to achieve the target at first stage.
Malik said that Turkey would be focused during the current year for exploring trade and business opportunities. With a view to achieve goal of enhancing trade volume, a strong linkage would be established with the Turkish businessmen for having market access to Europe, North Africa and Middle East, he added. The Lahore Chamber through its own efforts has been continuously working on an agenda of closer co-operation between Turkey and Pakistan, he said and added that in order to supplement these efforts, we have established Turkey-Pakistan Business Council by signing an agreement with Foreign Economic Relations Board, Turkey.
The LCCI President stressed the need for enforcing the Memorandum of Understanding already signed between the Lahore chamber and Istanbul Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He also lauded the Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif efforts for strengthening linkages among the business communities of Turkey and Pakistan. The role of Punjab Board of Investment and Trade (PBIT) is quite exemplary as they are organising conferences like they held in April 2010 in Lahore.
On that occasion, over 200 leading chief executive officers of both the countries were engaged to discuss ways of exploring investment opportunities for Turkish companies in Punjab, he maintained. Shahzad Malik said that Pakistan was in dire need of Turkish expertise in the food processing and agriculture sectors. The Lahore Chamber of Industry was giving top priority to these two sectors because the recent floods have destroyed agriculture and food industry.
He said that in the wake of recent floods, the country was going to initiate the process of reconstruction of infrastructure, bridges and road networks in the devastated areas, the Turkish construction companies would find ample opportunities to collaborate with Pakistani businessmen.
Earlier, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry and ANEED (Anatolian Businessmen Federation) working under the umbrella of Business Tuskon Confederation, ANEED, Turkey, which is a federation committed to make valuable contribution to the nation's economic development through the promotion of trade and industry. Under the MoU, trade and businesses would be promoted between the two countries.
LCCI Senior Vice President Sheikh Mohammad Arshad, Honorary Consul General in Lahore Mian Tajjamal Hussain, former LCCI presidents including Salahuddin Ahmad Sahaf and Bashir A Buksh and Secretary Commerce Fazal Abbas Maken also spoke on the occasion.