Foreign Minister Ms Hina Rabbani Khar on Thursday said that Pakistan and Turkey were factors of stability in the region and they were working together to convert the challenges into opportunities for a better future for the people.
Addressing a press conference along with Turkish Foreign Minister Professor Dr Ahmet Davutoglu here, after holding talks on her first ever visit to Turkey, Hina Rabbani Khar said both the sides discussed ways and means to promote bilateral relations and enhance economic and trade activities.
The foreign minister said the discussion focused on converting the excellent political goodwill between two countries into more tangible economic projects and framework agreements. In this respect she said, "we have agreed to start negotiations on a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA)" and decided to explore the possibility of doing bilateral trade in local currencies. Hina Rabbani Khar said connectivity projects were extremely important and the foreign ministers looked forward to early realisation of Gul Train project with the involvement of private sector.
"Our trade relations are modest and we believe that through these arrangements we can double and even triple the trade volume in the coming years," she added. She said Pakistan offered immense opportunities for investment in diverse sectors like energy, housing, infrastructure development, textile, dairy, and agriculture.
She said she invited Turkish investors to take advantage of the opportunities and liberal investment regime in Pakistan. Hina said there was a great scope to strengthen cultural relations by encouraging greater people-to-people contacts, visits of parliamentarians, exchange of students and media persons. "We would like to have institutional arrangements between our higher educational institutions and more expansion in the scholarships scheme," she said.
She said that the world today was passing through extraordinary times and profound changes were taking place in the region. Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu on the occasion assured Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar that Turkey would extend full cooperation and assistance to Pakistan for resolving energy crisis. He said a number of Turkish investors were negotiating with their Pakistani counterparts for investment in Pakistan for the progress and prosperity of the brotherly country. He said both countries were also working together to ensure peace in the region.