Turkish PM Erdogan wants to enhance trade with Pakistan

The visiting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Turkey wants to enhance trade volume with Pakistan. Addressing the Pakistan-Turkey Business Forum in the Pakistani city of Lahore, Mr Erdogan said Turkey will take benefit of investment opportunities in Pakistan. Pakistani officials said that Pak-Turkey bilateral trade has crossed one billion dollars. Turkey's principal exports are air transportation vehicles, textiles, defense industry products, chemicals, machinery, cereals and prefabricated house. Fabric, garments, plastics and chemicals dominate Pakistani exports to Turkey. The Turkish Prime Minister, accompanied by a forty-member team of businessmen, said with the visit of Turkish businessmen to Pakistan a new chapter of trade will be opened between the two countries. "I am thankful to the Pakistan Government for encouraging the Turkish businessmen," Erdogan said, adding his country to increase cooperation between Turkey and Pakistan in different fields including agriculture and tourism. Speaking on the occasion, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif invited Turkish businessmen to invest in energy, agriculture, textile, tourism and infrastructure building sectors in Pakistan. He said his Government would ensure full protection and support to the Turkish investment. The Prime Minister asked Turkish entrepreneurs to explore the possibility of investment in the energy sector in Pakistan which has wide-ranging potential in thermal, hydel and alternative sources. The Prime Minister noted that Turkish businessmen have expressed their desire to invest in construction of dams, a motorway between the port city of Karachi and Lahore and a Power Park near Karachi. Three MoUs were signed on the occasion for cooperation between the two countries in different fields.