PM Shehbaz invites Turkish investment in mega solar project

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday stressed upon the Turkish companies to invest in a 10,000-megawatt solar power project for Pakistan, ARY News reported.

Addressing a Turkiye-Pakistan Business Council meeting, the prime minister assured the investors that the Pakistan government would create a conducive, enabling and friendly environment for them to invest in the project.

According to a state-run news agency, Shehbaz said that his government would no longer tolerate any snags and impediments in the way of investment from foreign investors including the Turkish brothers.

He informed that during his meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, it was conveyed that more Turkish companies were eager to come to Pakistan.

The prime minister said that it was regrettable that in the past regime, the Turkish companies that had invested in Pakistan were not given their due payments.

“I want to convey this message to all, through you that we are brothers and family and will not tolerate such snags and impediments which hurt our ties,” he said, and reassured that his government would remove all the issues and address their genuine issues.

Shehbaz Sharif said both countries have signed an agreement to enhance trade volume to five billion dollars in the next three years.

Turkiye’s annual trade stood at around $250 billion dollars and the trade between Pakistan and Turkiye was hovering around one and half billion dollars which had been peanuts while considering the immense potential, he added.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif addresses Turkiye-Pakistan Business Council Meeting in Istanbul.#PMShehbazInTurkiye pic.twitter.com/hMcbyWQO5q

— Prime Minister’s Office (@PakPMO) November 26, 2022

“Though the people of the two countries speak different languages, but they understand each other as and their hearts beat together,” he said, adding that historical relations and fraternal ties were not properly reflected in the volume of bilateral trade and business.

“Let’s start today and look forward and learn from the past and move with speed, so that we can compensate for the past losses and make dividends. There is immense potential on both sides, let’s synergize and move speedily to show to the world that we as brothers have the will, commitment and sincerity of purpose to convert our words into action,” he added.

He said the governments might come and go, but the trade and business ties between the brotherly countries should not be impacted.

The prime minister also lauded President Erdogan for making diplomatic efforts and rescuing the world by streamlining the supply of wheat from Ukraine

He also mentioned the incredible efforts of United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres in this regard as well.