Context
Pakistan and Turkey decided on Thursday to transform their historical brotherly ties into tangible economic collaboration. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar held meetings in Ankara and agreed to look into the possibilities of moving forward with Preferential Trade Agreement. Dr. Davutoglu informed the trade level during the last six months stands at $632 million and appeared hopeful it can be raised to US $2 billion by the year 2102.
The two nations also decided to discuss the likelihood of carrying out bilateral trade in their local currencies to provide boost to ongoing commercial activities. Some specific proposals also included:
- Cargo train project between the two countries, also known as Gul Train.
- Opening branches of Turkish universities in Pakistan.
- Exchange program for training of foreign service students.
