Pakistan and Turkey to increase bilateral trade to $2 billion

ISLAMABAD (November 03 2009)

Pakistan and Turkey have agreed in principle to increase the level of bilateral trade to $2 billion from existing $700 million in a year. The understanding was reached during a meeting between the Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Turkish counterpart Professor Dr Ahmet Davutoglu, held on the sidelines of D-8 Council of Ministers held in Kuala Lumpur, says a message issued here by Pakistan's High Commission in Malaysia.

Both sides also agreed to move forward on timeline basis for signing of Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) and abolition of visa for businessmen between the two countries. Talking to the Turkish Foreign Minister, Qureshi expressed the confidence that the high-level consultative council established during the recent visit of Turkish Prime Minister, would function under the patronage of the two prime ministers.

Turkish Foreign Minister said that Turkey has been co-operating with certain other countries on the same lines and model. Qureshi requested the Turkish Foreign Minister to provide Pakistan with the successful model of cooperation, which Turkey consider successful for intensive co-operation with other countries. The framework for co-operation would be identified for future meetings of the ministers, which will precede before the Prime Ministers' meeting to finalise the areas of co-operation identified by the concerned ministers.




ISLAMABAD (November 03 2009)

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has said that government accords high priority to the development of Fata and ensured to increase funds for better health and education facilities besides infrastructure development. The Prime Minister said this while talking to a delegation of Fata MNAs led by their parliamentary leader Munir Khan Orakzai, which called on him at his Parliament House Chamber here on Monday.

The Prime Minister said the Minister of State for Finance Hina Rabbani Khar has been already directed to oversee and monitor the implementation of the developmental work in Fata and to ensure better co-ordination, hold monthly meetings with the Fata Parliamentarians.-PR

Copyright Business Recorder, 2009