Excellency Mr. Governor,
Representative of the Mayor,
Members of the Honorary
Consular Corps,
Member of the Turkish Parliament Ceyda Bölünmez Çankırı
Respectable Representatives
of the media,
Mr. Murat Tarman and
Madam,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen!
It
is a great pleasure to be in this beautiful and historic city of Bursa, a
sister city with Multan, for the official opening of the Honorary Consulate
General of Pakistan.
I
extend my heartfelt felicitations, once again, to Mr. Murat Tarman on his
appointment as Honorary Consul General.
I
also express our profound thanks to all the distinguished guests for gracing
this occasion, and for being part of the opening of another chapter in our
engagement.
The
abiding relationship between the peoples of Pakistan and Turkey has few
parallels in inter-state relations.
Our
strong bonds of faith, culture, and shared history are reinforced by unmatched
mutual trust and a sense of common destiny. Indeed, we are “iki devlet, tek millat.”
The
leadership in both countries has a vision of transforming these long-standing, cordial
ties into a strategic relationship -- underpinned by a robust economic
partnership.
The
High Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), co-chaired by the Prime
Ministers of Pakistan and Turkey, is providing strategic direction to bilateral
cooperation in diverse fields -- including political, defence, economic,
cultural, educational and science and technology.
Our
major initiatives focus on creating an enabling environment for increased
trade, investment promotion, and economic collaboration -- including through the
Business Councils in DEIK and FPCCI.
As
the inter-face between the private sectors is growing, so is the number and
scope of Turkish companies’ presence in Pakistan.
From
Metro Bus to solid waste management to wind mill, there are flagship projects
in Pakistan illustrating the ever-growing profile of our economic relations.
The
most consequential of these efforts is the onset of negotiations on a broad-based
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) covering trade in goods, services and investments.
Both
governments are committed to concluding the FTA on a fast-track basis.
There
are currency swap arrangement and EXIM Bank credit-line available to support
increased bilateral trade and mutual investments.
Equally
important are the measures to improve physical connectivity by road, railway, air
and sea to facilitate movement of goods and people.
Earliest
resumption of the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul container train is a key priority for
the two governments in this context.
The
aviation links have acquired a new high -- with Turkish Airlines (THY) flying
from Istanbul to Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi every day.
Pakistan’s
recent accession to the TIR Convention is expected to provide a further impetus
to enhanced regional trade and economic integration.
Simultaneously,
it is gratifying to see steady growth in cultural collaboration and
people-to-people exchanges as part of the soft connectivity.
In
sum, through increased travel, deeper academic linkages, and enhanced cultural
interface, our multifaceted relationship is being enriched in multiple
dimensions.
Distinguished Guests,
The
leadership in Pakistan and Turkey is fully conscious that there is still a huge
untapped potential for trade, investment and economic cooperation to be
realized.
They
are, therefore, focusing on intensified collaboration in diverse fields -- such
as energy, infrastructure, municipal services, housing, SMEs, and social
sectors.
The
role of the Honorary Consulates is pivotal in all these efforts. They are
well-placed to help bring the two private sectors closer and raise awareness about
the myriad trade, commercial and investment opportunities in each country.
The
decision to appoint our distinguished friend and eminent businessman, Mr. Murat
Tarman, as Honorary Consul General reflects the Pakistan Government’s
confidence that he would be an invaluable bridge between our two countries.
There
is no doubt that Mr. Tarman -- with his enormous experience, skills and
dynamism -- would make an outstanding contribution to the further growth of
Pakistan-Turkey trade, economic and cultural ties.
I
am sure that he would also inject a new life in the Bursa-Multan sister-city
relationship.
I
request Your Excellencies Governor and Mayor, as well as members of the business
community, civil society and the media, to lend Mr. Tarman your full support
and help him maintain and further strengthen the positive momentum in Pakistan-Turkey
partnership.
I
thank you, again, for joining us on this special occasion.
