Chairman Senate Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari on Wednesday urged enhanced trade and investment with brotherly country of Turkey. “Pakistan is strongly committed to deepen, broaden and strengthen its cooperation with Turkey in every field including trade, investment, science and technology, research and development,” the Chairman said during a meeting with Grand National Assembly of Turkey Speaker Cemil Cicek, who called on the Chairman along with his delegation.
“Our excellent relationship should translate into a robust cooperative partnership between the two countries. We must strengthen regional connectivity to bring our two people closer,” Bokhari added.
He said Pakistan greatly values its close, abiding and time-tested friendship with Turkey and this special relation between the two brotherly countries should be cultivated further through more parliamentary exchanges and frequent people to people contacts.
Bokhari elaborated the role of respective parliaments for cementing the historical ties and said, as representative of the people; our two parliaments have a special responsibility to play their role in strengthening relations in conformity with the wishes of the people. “I am confident that your visit will usher in a new era of relationship between our two parliaments.”
The Chairman recapitulated the visit of Prime Minister Erodogen and his distinct privilege of addressing the parliament of Pakistan second time. Likewise former Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani also addressed the Turkish Parliament in December 2010.
Urging the continuity of such high level contacts for further cementing bilateral relations, Bokhari said, frequent people to people contacts can also generate a momentum which can prove very beneficial for both the nations.
He also appreciated Turkish assistance in difficult times like 2005 earthquake and 2010 and 2011 floods. Pakistan and Turkey share perspectives at regional and international level and Turkey has always been accorded a very crucial position in Islamic world.
Sharing common grounds of Pak-Turkey historical relations, the chairman said Pakistan and Turkey have faced common challenges on the path to democracy. Therefore, sustainability and continuity of democracy requires working together of all political forces of a country.
He also informed the Turkish delegation about parliamentary democracy and land mark legislation during the last four years.
Reciprocating the Turkish Speaker expressed similar sentiments and declared Pakistan and Turkey as brothers who always supported each other in good and bad times and will continue to do so in future as well.
He also emphasized the need for close collaboration in political, economic, educational and technical fields.
MUSIAD invites ICCI to participate in Istanbul International Fair
The Independent Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association (MUSIAD) has invited on Wednesday the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) to participate in Istanbul International Fair which would be held in October. A delegation of MUSIAD comprising Foreign Relations Commission Chairman Sevket Can Tulumen, Coordinator Foreign Relations, Abdulkadir Sicakyuz and Turkish Embassy Commercial Consular, Cezmi Besogul visited ICCI and held a meeting with Yassar Sakhi Butt, ICCI President. Sevket Can Tulumen informed business leaders about 14th MUSIAD International Fair and 16th International Business Forum Congress and its importance for all the Muslim countries. He said that the Fair would be international meeting point of all the sectors where 5000 overseas entrepreneurs and distinguished businessmen from 84 countries along with Ministers, heads of Chambers of Commerce and Presidents of leading businessmen Associations will be participating. MUSIAD Chairman of Foreign Relations Commission invited ICCI office-bearers to participate in MUSIAD International Fair and International Business Forum Congress being held in Istanbul on October 11-14, 2012. He said that the business community of both the countries could enhance bilateral trade relations between Pakistan and Turkey through participating in international fairs and exhibitions. Speaking on the occasion, Yassar Sakhi Butt thanked the management of MUSIAD for giving an excellent reception to the ICCI delegation’s visit to Turkey in May, 2012. He said that Pakistan and Turkey have historic brotherly relations, thus both the countries should further strengthen the mutual trade relations by promoting business relations. The ICCI President expressed that it is the need of the hour to explore the possibility of joint ventures between Turkey and Pakistan. He said that there are tremendous chances of collaboration between Turkey and Pakistan for manufacturing of textile machinery in Pakistan. He said that we can strengthen our economy by adopting the development and progress of Turkey as a model in numerous sectors especially energy as energy is an important issue for Pakistan’s economic growth and Turkey has vast experience of exploiting hydro and other energy sources, therefore, both the countries should cooperate in this area on priority basis.