Turkish envoy, minister discuss cooperation

Islamabad: Turkish Ambassador Irfan Neziroglu called on federal minister for housing and works Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada at the ministry here on Monday and discussed matters of mutual interest, especially trade and investment, with him.

Both reaffirmed their strong commitment to working closely to strengthen relations between the two countries. The minister said Turkiye was very close to Pakistanis' hearts. "We have centuries old deep cultural and historical ties. Turkiye has always offered unwavering support to Pakistan at international fora for which we all are thankful to it," he said.

The minister stressed the need for deepening bilateral cooperation in trade and investment. He said that the development of housing sector was the top priority of the current government and Turkiye should offer ideas and solutions for housing problems in Pakistan.

The ambassador thanked the minister for warm welcome and said both countries should learn from each other's experiences. He expressed his strong desire to engage in bilateral and even trilateral relations with Pakistan in multiple sectors. The ambassador expressed his country's willingness to contribute to the development of housing sector of the country.

The minister referred to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s enmphasis that Pakistan needs investment and trade but not aid, and said Pakistan, being a huge market, had profitable prospects in the housing sector. "There are a lot of opportunities for bilateral cooperation, particularly in this housing sector, which should be explored," he said.