Pakistan, Turkey likely to revive 2003 road deal

Deal aims to facilitate movement of cargo and passengers between the two countries

ISLAMABAD: A bilateral road transport agreement signed between Pakistan and Turkey in 2003 is likely to become operational in 2017 after a break of 14 years.

The second meeting of Pakistan-Turkey joint commission on road transportation was held here under the framework of bilateral road transport agreement between Pakistan and Turkey signed on June 15, 2003.



The Turkish delegation headed by Nurhan Tufekcioglu, Deputy Director General Directorate for Road Transport Regulation, Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications, met the senior officers of the ministry of communications, ministry of commerce and ministry of foreign affairs, a press release said.

Both sides discussed various issues of mutual interest for strengthening the bilateral relations in the fields of roads and road transport.

The road transport deal was signed by the then Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his visit to Pakistan in June 2003, which aimed at facilitating the movement of cargo and passengers between the two countries. Unfortunately, since then the agreement could not get operational due to lack of transit-agreement between Iran and Pakistan.



However later in June 2008, Pakistan and Iran inked agreement for allowing transit facilities to each other’s vehicles and also to a third country with which both Pakistan and Iran have bilateral agreements.

An official of the communication ministry explained that the Pak-Turk agreement will help tourism and trade. “The agreement will help boost the economy of both the countries through overland export and import,” said the official requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to speak with the media.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 29^th, 2016.