Foreign Minister lists key investment sectors, calls economic diplomacy vital for Pakistan-Turkey relations
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar speaks during the Pakistan-Türkiye business conference, July 4, 2026. PHOTO: MOFA/X
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Saturday that Pakistan was particularly looking for Turkish investments in key sectors such as energy, mining, minerals, power infrastructure, information technology, manufacturing, agriculture, logistics, tourism and defense industries.
These sectors, the foreign minister told a Pakistan-Turkish business conference, “offer enormous opportunities not only for commercial success but also for technology, transfer, industrial modernization and job creation.”
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Sunday, FM Dar noted at the conference that the Pakistani government “has embarked on an ambitious program of economic reforms under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.” He added that the program aims to improve macroeconomic stability, enhance investor confidence, create an enabling environment and improve the ease of doing business for business owners and households.
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In doing so, he emphasized the equal importance of collaboration in emerging technologies. “Artificial intelligence, digital innovation, FinTech, advanced manufacturing and research partnerships increasingly determine the competitiveness of our two economies,” he noted, adding that there is “enormous potential for our universities, research institutes and private sectors to work together in these areas.”
In his speech at the conference, the foreign minister noted that Islamabad and Istanbul “enjoy unique relations in international affairs and history.” He added that the two countries have “constantly supported each other” throughout the decades, “whether on issues of regional peace and security, humanitarian assistance or mutual support of each other’s core national interests.”
According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, “this political trust constitutes one of the strongest assets of our two nations”.
Addressing the objective of the conference, FM Dar said the challenge facing the two countries “is to transform this extraordinary political and brotherly relationship into an equally dynamic economic partnership”, adding that the international landscape is changing rapidly, the global economy is being reshaped by geopolitical competition, technological transformation, evolving supply chains, energy transitions and new models of trade and investment.
With such changes in the global system, FM Dar said, “countries that work together, diversify their partnerships and build resilient economic ties will be better positioned to prosper in the future.” The Foreign Minister stressed: “Pakistan and Turkey have every reason to be among these countries.”
Discussing the strategic location of the two countries, FM Dar said they are “strategically located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Central Asia.” He added that such positioning has enabled Istanbul and Islamabad to “connect markets, regions and opportunities that extend far beyond our own borders”.
“This strategic geography must become an economic advantage for our two peoples,” insisted FM Dar.
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Asserting that today’s diplomacy “is no longer limited to political dialogue alone”, he said: “Economic diplomacy is the key to the game”, becoming “one of the main instruments by which nations create prosperity for the people of the world today”.
According to the Foreign Minister, the embassies of both countries, as well as their trade missions, investment promotion agencies and trade organizations must work together, more closely than ever, to facilitate trade, encourage investments and remove obstacles that hinder entrepreneurs.
“The world is changing,” the foreign minister said, stressing that alliances “are being built and tested, trade deals are being renegotiated and the rules of global competition are being rewritten.” He added: “In this era of uncertainty, Pakistan and Turkey must not just react to changes, but we must adapt and work together to achieve excellence.”
“That we depend on each other and on no one else,” the foreign minister said at the conference. He added that the two countries stand together and can “penetrate any market and compete with any company and business house in the world, provided we have sincerity of purpose and decide to work in unison.”
For this, he stressed, the potential exists. “Let us seize it together for the sake of the people of Türkiye and Pakistan,” FM Dar stressed. He added: “May this conference send a clear message that Pakistan and Turkey are ready to shape the future together, God willing, not only as trusted friends but as partners in prosperity, innovation and regional stability. »
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The Foreign Minister, accompanied by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, arrived in Istanbul on Friday, accompanying Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The visit was undertaken at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with the aim of Prime Minister Shehbaz and Erdogan focusing on strengthening trade and investment cooperation.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Shehbaz and the Turkish President expressed their commitment to increase the volume of bilateral trade between Istanbul and Islamabad to $5 billion. The two also discussed ways to increase bilateral trade and investments in special economic zones.
