ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Turkey on Thursday discussed the proposed Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) in goods for promoting trade liberalization and enhancing bilateral trade.
Both sides underscored the importance of early finalization of the PTA in goods which would open up new opportunities to boost bilateral trade across various sectors and it would be mutually beneficial, said a press release issued by the Ministry of commerce here.
Speaking with Pakistani and Turkish businesspersons, the Minister for Commerce, Syed Naveed Qamar, emphasized the need to increase Business to Business engagements for strengthening trade and investment relations between the brotherly countries of Pakistan and Turkey.
At the occasion of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Turkey, Ministry of Commerce co-hosted a B2B forum attended by more than 150 Pakistani and Turkish businesspersons, traders and investors.
The delegation of Pakistani businesspersons, put together by the Ministry of Commerce and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, represented the sectors with considerable potential of exports to Turkey such as Engineering, Agro-food, Pharmaceuticals, Rice, Information Technology (IT), Textiles etc.
Syed Naveed Qamar, Federal Minister for Commerce, who is accompanying the Prime Minister, also attended meetings with his counterpart Dr Mehmet Mus Minister of Trade of Turkey and discussed the way forward to enhance bilateral trade.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said promoting foreign investment in Pakistan was one of the top priorities of his government. PM Sharif, who is on a three-day visit to Turkey, stated this in a meeting with a delegation of a Turkish company Sutas Group headed by its Board President Muharrem Yilmaz.
The prime minister said the government was removing the hurdles faced by investors during the last four years.
He said the government was ensuring employment opportunities and setting up industries in the country.
The delegation of Sutas Group expressed deep interest in investing in the dairy sector in Pakistan.
The prime minister issued directives to the concerned Pakistani authorities to extend cooperation to the Sutas Group.