Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday said that Pakistan particularly seeks Turkish investment in key sectors including energy, mining, minerals, power infrastructure, information technology, manufacturing, agriculture, logistics, tourism, and defence industries.

These sectors, the foreign minister said during a Pakistan-Turkiye Business Conference, "offer tremendous opportunities not only for commercial success but also for technology, transfer, industrial modernisation, and employment generation."

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Sunday, FM Dar noted during the conference that the Pakistani government "has embarked upon an ambititous programme of economic reforms under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif," He added that the programme aims to improve macroeconomic stability, enhance investor confidence, create an enabling environment, and improve the ease of doing business for business leaders and houses.

Read: Pakistan, Turkiye vow stronger economic ties, reaffirm $5b trade target

With this, he highlighted the equal importance of collaboration in emerging technologies. "Artificial intelligence, digital innovation, FinTech, advanced manufacturing, and research partnerhships with increasingly determine the competitiveness of our two economies," he noted, adding that there is "enormous potential for our universities, research institutions, and private sectors to work together in these fields."

In his address at the conference, the foreign minister noted that Islamabad and Istanbul "enjoy a relationship that is unique in international affairs and history." He added that the two countries have "consistently stood by each other" throughout the decades, "whether on matters of regional peace and security, humanitarian assistance, or support for each other's core national interests."

According to the foreign minister, "this political trust is among the strongest assets of our two nations."

Addressing the purpose of the conference, FM Dar stated that the challenge both countries face "is to transform this extraordinary political and brotherly relationship into an equally dynamic economic partnership," adding that the international landscape is changing rapidly, the global economy is being reshaped by geopolitical competition, technological transformation, changing supply chains, energy transitions, and new patterns of trade and investment.

With such changes in the global system, FM Dar stated, "countries that work together, diversify their partnerships, and build resilient economic linkages will be better positioned to prosper in the future." The foreign minister stressed, "Pakistan and Turkiye have every reason to be among those countries."

Discussing the strategic location of both countries, FM Dar stated that they are "strategically located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia." He added that such positioning allowed Istanbul and Islamabad to "connect markets, regions, and opportunities that extend far beyond our own borders."

"This strategic geography must become an economic advantage to both of our people," FM Dar urged.

Read More: Pakistan, Turkiye to enhance maritime ties

Saying that diplomacy today is "no longer confined to political dialogue alone," he stated, "Economic diplomacy is the name of the game," becoming "one of the principal instruments through which nations create prosperity for the people in today's world."

According to the foreign minister, the embassies of both nations, along with their commercial missions, investment promotion agencies, and business organisations must work together, more closely than ever, to facilitate trade, encourage investment, and remove barriers that hinder entrepreneurs.

"The world is changing," the foreign minister said, noting that alliances "are being built and tested, trade agreements are being renegotiated, and the rules of global competition are being rewritten." He added, "In this era of uncertainty, Pakistan and Turkiye must not merely respond to the changes but we must shape up and work together for excellence."

"Let our dependency be on one another and no one else," the foreign minister told the conference. He added that the two nations stand together and can "enter every market and compete with any company and business house in the world, provided we have the sincerity of purpose and decide to work in unison."

For this, he noted, the potential exists. "Let us seize it together for the benefit of the peoples of Turkiye and Pakistan," FM Dar stressed. He added, "Let this conference send a clear message that Pakistan and Turkiye are ready to shape the future together, God willing, not only as trusted friends but as partners in prosperity, innovation, and regional stability."

Also Read: Turkey political crisis deepens

The foreign minister, along with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, arrived in Istanbul on Friday, accompanying Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The visit was undertaken upon invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with the aim of PM Shehbaz and Erdogan to focus on enhancing cooperation in trade and investment.

On Saturday, PM Shehbaz and the Turkish president expressed their commitment to increase bilateral trade volume between Istanbul and Islamabad to $5 billion. The two also discussed ways to increase bilateral trade and investment in special economic zones.