Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan Mehmet Pacaci said that his country is eager to increase trade with Pakistan and has promised to assist in removing any obstacle. He emphasised that Türkiye is working tirelessly to improve and develop its economic connections with Pakistan, while speaking to a gathering of Sialkot's exporters at the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).

He said that a trade pact between the two friendly nations has been signed, giving both countries, in theory, better access to one another's markets and boosting trade. The two sides intend to increase their bilateral trade volume to $5 billion over the following several years, he added.

The ambassador emphasised how the two countries supported one another through trying times as the relationship developed from a strategic standpoint. He said that Pakistan and Türkiye recently celebrated the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.

He said that improving coordination, engagement, and understanding between the business groups of the two countries is essential to promoting bilateral economic links. Mehmet Pacaci suggested that businesspeople in both countries should get to know one another better and make a concerted effort to strengthen their trade and economic ties. He gave the assurance that his embassy will fully support such initiatives.

He asked the Sialkot exporters to broaden their product offering, pointing out that Sialkot is where the majority of cutting-edge products are made. Turkish and Pakistani connections date back millennia, according to ambassador Mehmet Pacaci. Turkish people are very devoted to their Pakistani brethren, and Türkiye will not abandon Pakistan during this crucial moment.

He promised to get the Turkish business community to purchase goods created in Sialkot directly from Sialkot rather than doing so indirectly and at a premium price from other countries. A documentary "Sialkot, the City of Progressive People" made by SCCI, was shown at the meeting.

SCCI President Abdul Ghafoor Malik said that Türkiye and Pakistan are friendly Islamic countries that share the same religious, cultural, and sociopolitical history. He said that as trade between the two countries is yet unexplored, Pakistan and Turkiye must transform their fraternal ties into commercial terms.

According to the State Bank of Pakistan, there was $1.13 billion worth of trade between the two countries in FY 2021, with a $886 million trade surplus in Türkiye's favour. According to the SCCI president, there is a tonne of room to grow this amount of trade since there is so much untapped trade potential on both sides.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk