President advocates for boosting trade with Turkiye to USD5bn

President Asif Ali Zardari pressed for deeper ties with Türkiye on Wednesday, setting a shared goal of USD 5 billion in bilateral trade. During a meeting at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad with Amna Baloch, the Ambassador-designate to Türkiye, he also urged more investment and joint work in strategic and emerging technologies, according to Business Recorder.

He wanted stronger cooperation across energy, farming, livestock, mining, ship-breaking, IT and defence manufacturing, along with special economic zones. Universities were urged to collaborate more closely, and people-to-people exchanges, cultural ties and tourism, including Turkish expertise, were encouraged. Congratulating her on the appointment, he praised her earlier tenure as Foreign Secretary and described the bond as rooted in shared values, cultural closeness and hopes for peace and prosperity.

He asked the envoy to stay closely engaged with the Pakistani diaspora, students and businesses in Türkiye, while ensuring consular support and timely help when needed. He also highlighted the need for better coordination and information sharing between institutions of the two countries to counter human smuggling. Finally, he asked her to pass his greetings to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan when presenting her credentials and wished her success in the new role.