Turkey keen on increased economic ties with Pakistan

ANKARA, 4 March 2011:  A 7-member delegation of Pakistan’s Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) led by its President Mr. Muhammad Saeed Shafiq, met here today with Mr. Husnu Dilemre, Director General of the Turkish Foreign Trade Undersecretariat’s General Directorate of Agreements.

The delegation conveyed the sensitivities of Pakistan vis-à-vis recent safeguard measures under consideration that will impose additional custom duties on the imports of certain textile products from developing countries that include imports from Pakistan as well. The visiting delegation was assured that Turkey fully appreciates Pakistan’s concerns specially the efforts to stabilize Pakistan’s economy after devastating floods.

“In the same spirit,” Mr. Husnu emphasized, “Turkey has already shown wholehearted support to European Union’s initiative at World Trade Organization to grant Pakistani goods increased market access in the wake of floods.” On growing economic ties between Pakistan and Turkey, Mr. Husnu informed that there is dynamic growth in bilateral trade between Pakistan and Turkey.

President KCCI Mr. Shafiq invited Turkish businessmen to their annual event “My Karachi” that will be held in Karachi from 22-24 July 2011. He also invited Turkish businessmen to invest in sectors like alternative energy, value added sector, construction, etc. The delegation was assured that the Foreign Trade Undersecretariat will contact concerned Turkish institutions respectively.

Earlier, the visiting Pakistani businessmen called on Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkey H.E. Mr. Tariq Azizuddin who briefed them about economic relations between the two countries. “In the year 2010, bilateral between Pakistan and Turkey touched US$ 1 billion, and efforts are underway to increase volume of this trade to US $ 2 billion by the year 2012,” said Mr. Azizudin.

Mr. Shafiq during the meeting stressed on the need to train unemployed in different skills so that their employability could be increased. We need to encourage self-employment for entrepreneurial youth who could speed up the pace of industrialization in Pakistan, he added.

ENDS

Photo captions:

President KCCI Mr. Mr. Muhammad Saeed Shafiq presenting KCCI shield to Director General of Turkish Foreign Trade Undersecretariat Mr. Husnu Dilemre at Ankara on 4 March 2011.

KCCI delegation in a group photo with Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkey H.E. Mr. Tariq Azizuddin at Ankara