Islamabad, 30 November 2021 (GNP/ TDI): Chief of Mission of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in Pakistan, Ms. Dilsad Senol, said that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was keen to promote trade relations with Pakistan. Senol remarked that those trade relations would benefit the people and economies of both countries. She said that while addressing the business community during her visit to the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
Ms. Dilsad Senol said that TRNC and Pakistan had no formal trade, and it was time that both should focus on promoting bilateral trade. She identified agriculture, construction, tourism, education, dairy sector, and citrus as potential areas of cooperation for Pakistan with TRNC.
Senol said that TRNC was importing most of the construction material and it was a good opportunity for Pakistan to export its construction material to TRNC besides exporting many other products. She said that TRNC has developed better infrastructure with qualified labor and was offering good incentives to foreign investors.
Senol urged that Pakistani investors should tap TRNC’s market for investment. She said that 20 universities were operating in TRNC and over 3000 Pakistani students were getting an education in these universities. She said that common culture and religion also provided good scope to Pakistan and TRNC for promoting business relations.
STATEMENTS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE ICCI
Speaking at the occasion, Muhammad Shakeel Munir, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) pronounced it. Munir said that the business community of Pakistan preferred to do trade with Turkey being a brotherly country.
He then added that the Pakistani business community wanted to develop strong business relations with Turkish counterparts. Munir then included the relations with the entrepreneurs of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
However, Munir said that there was a lack of awareness in the business community of Pakistan about the business opportunities in TRNC and stressed promoting the exchange of trade delegations to explore all potential areas of cooperation between the two countries.
The President of ICCI said that the construction sector was booming in Pakistan and the SEZs being set up under CPEC offered attractive opportunities to local and foreign investors. He invited the investors of TRNC to explore investment opportunities in potential sectors of Pakistan’s economy including SEZs.
He said that Pakistan possessed great reserves of high-quality marble & granite and urged that both countries should cooperate in sharing the latest technology to promote mechanized mining and produce value-added marble products.
SHEIKH AND KHAN STATEMENTS
Jamshaid Akhtar Sheikh, Senior Vice President, and Muhammad Faheem Khan Vice President, ICCI thanked Ms. Dilsad Senol for her visit to ICCI. Sheikh and Khan emphasized the importance of encouraging the exchange of students; and also people-to-people contacts for promoting trade and economic relations between Pakistan and TRNC. Both sides also discussed many areas for promoting cooperation between Pakistan and TRNC.