In a bid to strengthen bilateral economic ties, Pakistan and Türkiye are set to sign 21 agreements in key sectors such as services, tourism, education, IT, defence, and infrastructure.
The development came during a high-profile meeting between Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and Turkish Minister of Trade Dr Omer Bolat in Islamabad Thursday.
According to a statement released by the Ministry of Commerce, both ministers discussed revamping the preferential trade agreement (PTA) to remove barriers and unlock trade potential.
The two ministers also explored reviving and strengthening the D8 Preferential Trade Agreement to boost trade among member countries.
Bolat acknowledged the issues faced by Turkish investors in Pakistan but assured that they remain interested in expanding their investments.
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Meanwhile, Kamal reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to facilitating foreign investment, highlighting efforts to streamline business operations and improve the ease of doing business.
He emphasized the role of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) in ensuring a smooth investment process for Turkish companies.
Kamal also appreciated the confidence shown by Turkish companies in Pakistan’s economy, citing their investments in infrastructure, manufacturing, energy, transport, and municipal services as examples of growing economic cooperation.
The commerce minister proposed holding a “Made in Pakistan” single-country exhibition in Türkiye, aiming to bring Pakistani companies across various industries to showcase their products.
In response, the Turkish minister pledged to work on reciprocal trade fairs and committed to boosting Pakistani exports, particularly basmati rice, “which he said had not been fully utilized under existing agreements”.
Meanwhile, Kamal invited Türkiye to participate in Pakistan’s Healthcare and Industrial Expo from April 17-19, stressing that joint ventures in medical technology and hospital infrastructure could significantly benefit both nations.
During the meeting, the discussion also extended to defence cooperation, where Bolat reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to working closely with Pakistan on defence projects, particularly in joint production and technology transfer.
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