Islamabad and Ankara agree to enhance trade volume to $1 billion

NEW YORK (September 16 2005): Turkish Prime Minister Recip Tayyip Erdogan called on President Pervez Musharraf at the UN headquarters on Thursday and reviewed bilateral, regional and international relations. The meeting lasted for about an hour was held in a friendly and cordial atmosphere.

Foreign minister Khurshid M. Kasuri told newsmen after the meeting the two leaders decided to further strengthen co-operation in economic and trade fields.

He said the present volume of trade relations is around $300 million and it was agreed during the meeting to encourage private sector to take this level of trade to $1 billion. Kasuri said other important regional and international issues were also reviewed.

The two leaders also discussed restructuring of the OIC and President Musharraf informed the Turkish Prime Minister about his suggestions for the forthcoming Makkah summit to resolve problems faced by the Muslim Ummah.

The President said the group of eminent persons of the OIC has prepared its report keeping in view problems of the Ummah and to strengthen various organs of the OIC, including development of science, technology and research.

President Musharraf called for more financial resources for the OIC to make it financially independent. He said this can be achieved if each Muslim country contributes 0.01 percent of its GDP.

Recip Tayyip Erdogan agreed to points raised by President Musharraf and said Turkey, too, wanted to strengthen the OIC.

Kasuri said both the countries have agreed to co-ordinate their efforts and make the Makkah summit a success.

Copyright Associated Press of Pakistan, 2005