SCCI speeds up efforts to boost trade with Turkiye

PESHAWAR: The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has accelerated efforts to boost bilateral trade and economic relations between Pakistan and Turkiye.

Joint initiatives would be taken to explore new avenues for trade promotion in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Turkiye, SCCI senior vice-president Shahid Hussain said while speaking at a meeting.Commercial Counsellor of Turkiye in Pakistan Nurettin Demir, who visited the Chamber’s House, also attended the meeting, said in a press release.

SCCI vice president Ejaz Khan Afridi, secretary commercial affairs, Embassy of Turkiye in Pakistan, Engr Abdul Baseer, members of the SCCI’s executive committee Ghulam Hussain, Naeem Qasmi, Javed Ahmad Khan, Laal Badshah, Munawar Khurshid, Abdul Hakim Shinwari, Quratul Ain and others were present.

Shahid Hussain said prospects of boosting Pak-Turkiye bilateral trade were bright, but added that trade volume between the two countries was very low owing to lack of information regarding potentials of each other.

He said that KP was gateway to Afghanistan and the Central Asian Republics. He noted that Pakistan/Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was a suitable trade route for investors from Turkiye.

Nurettin Demir while responding to various queries and proposals from members of the chamber stressed the need for launching joint ventures to further cement trade and economic ties between Turkiye and Pakistan.

He called for devising a joint roadmap to give new direction to bilateral economic and trade relations between Pakistan and Turkiye.

He stressed the need for exploring new avenues of investment and joint cooperation between the brotherly Islamic countries. He expressed the hope that the mutual cooperation would improve the mutual trade volume between Turkiye and Pakistan.

He mentioned that a preferential trade agreement (PTA) had so far been signed between Turkiye and Pakistan, which was expected to be approved by the parliament of Turkiye next month.

“This agreement would prove a catalyst for improving trade and economic ties between the two countries,” he added.