Highlights Pakistan’s improving macroeconomic fundamentals and investor-friendly policy framework
Prime Minister Shehbaz met with a delegation from Calık Holding led by the Chairman of the Group, Mr. Ahmet Calık, in Istanbul. Photo:X
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a series of meetings with senior leaders of Turkey’s major business groups and industrial organizations in Istanbul on Saturday, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation and attracting more Turkish investments in key sectors of the economy, according to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
The prime minister arrived in Istanbul on Friday for a bilateral visit to Turkey at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with discussions expected to focus on strengthening cooperation on trade, investment and regional security.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Prime Minister met with Ahmet Calık, Chairman of Calık Holding, Ahmet Albayrak, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Albayrak Group, and Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB).
During the meetings, the Prime Minister highlighted the deep-rooted brotherly ties between Pakistan and Turkey and underlined the importance of translating the exceptional relations between the two countries into a stronger economic and investment partnership, the Prime Minister said.
He highlighted Pakistan’s improving macroeconomic fundamentals, investor-friendly policy framework and the government’s commitment to ensuring a transparent, predictable and business-friendly investment environment.
According to the PMO, the Prime Minister invited Turkish companies to expand their investments in Pakistan’s priority sectors, including energy, mines and minerals, infrastructure, shipping and logistics, information technology, telecommunications, manufacturing, agriculture and privatization.
Read: Prime Minister in Istanbul on bilateral visit
He said the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), working in close coordination with relevant federal and provincial authorities, continued to provide one-stop facilitation and institutional support to strategic investors.
During his meeting with Çalık Holding, the Prime Minister highlighted Pakistan’s opportunities in the fields of energy, infrastructure, information technology and privatization, according to the PMO. He also welcomed the company’s interest in expanding its operations in Pakistan, saying its existing presence through Calık Enerji and GAP İnşaat provides a solid foundation for further cooperation.
During his meeting with Albayrak Group, the Prime Minister appreciated the company’s long-standing commitment to Pakistan and encouraged it to further increase its investments in maritime infrastructure, port modernization and logistics, recognizing its contribution to Pakistan’s connectivity and infrastructure development, the PMO said.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Prime Minister also met with TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoglu and appreciated the organization’s continued efforts to strengthen business-to-business engagement between Pakistan and Turkey. He proposed to establish a structured institutional mechanism for regular interaction between the private sectors of the two countries and invited TOBB to lead a high-level business delegation to Pakistan to explore emerging investment opportunities.
Turkish business leaders have appreciated the Pakistani government’s economic reforms, improved investment climate and investor-friendly policies, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. They expressed confidence in Pakistan’s economic prospects and reaffirmed their interest in increasing investments and developing long-term partnerships in a range of strategic sectors, thereby contributing to the growing economic partnership between Pakistan and Turkey.
