ISTANBUL:CFederal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan held a bilateral meeting with Türkiye’s Minister of Trade, Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat, on the sidelines of the 42nd Session of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) in Istanbul, focusing on expanding bilateral trade, promoting Pakistani agricultural exports and strengthening Turkish investment in Pakistan.
During the meeting, both ministers held productive discussions on matters of mutual economic and commercial interest, reaffirming their commitment to further strengthening trade relations between Pakistan and Türkiye, said a release issued here on Wednesday.
Jam Kamal Khan appreciated Türkiye’s strong support for Pakistan’s legitimate claims concerning Basmati rice and emphasized the importance of continued cooperation in protecting and promoting Pakistan’s premium agricultural products in international markets.
The Commerce Minister also highlighted investment opportunities for Turkish companies in Pakistan, particularly the 1,000 acres of land earmarked for Turkish enterprises in Karachi Industrial Park. He invited Turkish businesses to capitalize on the opportunity by establishing industrial units and expanding their manufacturing and investment footprint in Pakistan.
Commerce Minister, Turkish trade minister discuss basmati rice, Mango exports, industrial investment
Highlighting Pakistan’s agricultural export potential, Jam Kamal Khan sought Türkiye’s support in facilitating greater market access and increasing exports of Pakistani mangoes to the Turkish market.
Responding to the Commerce Minister, Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat emphasized the importance of effective marketing and branding of Pakistani Basmati rice in Türkiye to strengthen its market presence and enhance consumer recognition.
The Turkish Trade Minister also assured his full support for increasing imports of Pakistani mangoes, recognizing the potential for expanding agricultural trade between the two countries.
In a significant development, Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat agreed to send a delegation of Turkish officials to Pakistan to review existing bilateral trade mechanisms and explore practical measures to further improve trade relations.
Both sides underscored the importance of sustained institutional engagement, enhanced business cooperation and closer coordination to translate existing economic opportunities into tangible trade and investment outcomes.
Separately, Federal Minister Jam Kamal Khan held a meeting with H.E. Ms. Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk, Director General of the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), on the sidelines of the COMCEC session.
During the meeting, the Director General briefed the Commerce Minister on SESRIC’s ongoing activities, research initiatives and reports concerning trade among member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). She highlighted the institution’s role in providing statistical information and analytical insights to support economic cooperation among Islamic countries.
Jam Kamal Khan appreciated the work undertaken by SESRIC and emphasized the critical importance of accurate, reliable and clean data in economic research and policy analysis. He noted that credible statistical information and evidence-based assessments were essential for identifying emerging trade trends, understanding market dynamics and evaluating trade potential among OIC member states.
The Commerce Minister further highlighted that improved data quality and comprehensive trade analysis could help member countries identify untapped opportunities, address existing trade barriers and formulate more effective strategies to enhance intra-OIC trade.
He underscored the importance of strengthening research-based cooperation and utilizing reliable trade statistics to support informed decision-making and promote greater economic integration among OIC countries.
The engagements reflected Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening its longstanding brotherly relations with Türkiye through expanded commercial partnerships, agricultural trade and industrial cooperation, while promoting evidence-based economic cooperation and deeper trade integration across the OIC region.
