The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is keen on promoting trade relations with Pakistan for the benefit of the people and economies of both countries.
This was stated by Dilsad Senol, Chief of Mission TRNC, in Pakistan, while addressing the business community during her visit to the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
Dilsad Senol said there was no formal trade between TRNC and Pakistan and it was time that both countries should focus on promoting bilateral trade. She noted that agriculture, construction, tourism, education, dairy, and citrus had the potential of developing bilateral cooperation.
She said TRNC mostly imported construction material and it was a good opportunity for Pakistan to export its construction material to the country alongside many other products. She informed the business community that TRNC had developed fine infrastructures with the help of qualified labor. She said her country was offering good incentives to foreign investors.
The Chief of Mission urged the Pakistani investors to explore the TRNC market for investment. She said that common culture and religion also provided good scope to Pakistan and TRNC for promoting business relations. She said that 20 universities were operating in TRNC and over 3,000 Pakistani students were studying in those universities.
Speaking on the occasion, President ICCI, Muhammad Shakeel Munir, said that the business community of Pakistan had developed strong business relations with Turkish counterparts, including the entrepreneurs of TRNC. However, he added, there was a lack of awareness in the Pakistani business community about the opportunities in TRNC. He stressed the need for promoting the exchange of trade delegations to explore all potential areas of mutual cooperation.
President ICCI said that the construction sector was growing in Pakistan and the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) being set up under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor offered attractive opportunities to local and foreign investors. He invited the investors of TRNC to explore investment opportunities in potential sectors of Pakistan, including SEZs. He said Pakistan possessed great reserves of high-quality marble and granite, adding that the two countries should cooperate in sharing the latest technology to promote mechanized mining and produce value-added marble products.
Senior Vice President ICCI, Jamshaid Akhtar Sheikh, and Vice President ICCI, Muhammad Faheem Khan, thanked the TRNC Chief of Mission for visiting ICCI. They emphasized encouraging the exchange of students and enhancing people-to-people contacts to promote trade and economic relations between Pakistan and TRNC.
