Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday invited the Turkish
investors to explore Pakistan’s diverse sectors, particularly the energy sector
offering immense opportunities and scope for development.
Addressing at the Pakistan Turkey Business Council under the
DEIK – Foreign Economic Relations Board, the prime minister said Pakistan’s
energy sector with its vast potential in hydel, thermal, coal, wind, and solar
areas could prove ideal for Turkish investors.
The leading businessmen and investors from Turkey and
Pakistan participated in the meeting.
President DEIK Nail Olpak and Chair Turkish-Pakistan
Business Council Ahmet Cengiz Özdemir introduced the participating companies
and briefed the prime minister about Turkish investments in Pakistan.
PM Sharif said a number of leading Turkish investors had
already made investments in Pakistan, and assured full cooperation by his
government to pursue their projects.
He said given the growing energy needs and high global
energy prices, Pakistan direly needed improvement in its energy sector and
emphasized that the Turkish investment would be a win-win situation.
He said Pakistan could benefit from Turkey’s expertise in
building and managing dams for water conservation.
Giving an overview of the economic and investment
opportunities in Pakistan, the prime minister highlighted his focus on energy,
housing, textiles, infrastructure development, agro-based industry, and oil and
gas sectors.
He said Pakistan-Turkey relations are built on unbreakable
bonds of love, affection, and respect as the two countries shared a history,
century-old tradition, and common aspirations.
He mentioned that the two nations always stood with each
other at all times, and added that their relations were marked by extreme
cordiality and exceptional mutual trust.
PM Sharif said Pakistan and Turkey must engage with renewed
resolve and commitment to building upon this solid foundation, to take this
relationship to new heights, particularly in the vital fields of commercial,
economic, and investment cooperation.
He also emphasized that Turkish textile companies could
explore the sector for joint ventures, especially for intra-industry trade as
well as becoming partners in regional and global value chains.
He also invited the Turkish firms relating to the
agro-industrial sector and dairy farming and said ample opportunities existed
in these sectors.
The prime minister stressed that Pakistani and Turkish
companies could also work together in the oil and gas sector.
They could collaborate not only in exploration and
production but in building refineries and pipelines, he said.
Shehbaz Sharif highlighted the priorities of his government,
saying that addressing the challenges of industrial sustainability,
particularly in view of the global fourth industrial revolution was
significant.
He said Pakistan with its huge youth bulge could undergo
remarkable progress and development in various sectors of public importance.
ISLAMABAD, Jun 01 (APP):
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari,
Minister for Commerce and Investment Syed Naveed Qamar, and Minister for
Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb were present.
