The 16th Session of the Pakistan–Türkiye Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) was held in Islamabad from 8–9 September 2025. The JMC is a cornerstone institutional mechanism for bilateral economic cooperation established in 1975. The current session was co-chaired by H.E. Mr. Jam Kamal Khan, Minister for Commerce of Pakistan, and H.E. Ya?ar Güler, Minister of National Defence of the Republic of Türkiye.
The session was preceded by extensive inter-ministerial consultations and coordination between both sides, including through the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), Joint Standing Committees (JSCs), and diplomatic missions. A comprehensive draft protocol was reviewed in advance, with the final technical session successfully resolving key areas of cooperation.
Discussions encompassed 24 key sectors including Trade and Investment, Energy, ICT, Banking and Finance, Industrial Cooperation, Education, Health, Labour, Tourism, and Climate Change. A major highlight was the mutual commitment to enhance bilateral trade to USD 5 billion, with the first in-person round of negotiations for the Trade in Goods Agreement scheduled for October 2025. Both sides agreed to deepen business-to-business linkages, facilitate digital trade, and streamline customs cooperation.
The two sides reiterated their commitment to regional connectivity by agreeing to expedite the operationalization of the Islamabad–Tehran–Istanbul (ITI) Railway Corridor and advance work on the proposed TURPAK Transport Corridor. Cooperation will also expand in the maritime sector, including ship recycling and port development.
In the energy sector, both countries agreed to establish Sub-Working Groups to explore collaboration in renewables, hydrocarbons, hydrogen, mining, LNG, and electric vehicle infrastructure. Further cooperation was pledged in electricity distribution, transmission modernization, and hydropower development.
Significant progress was made in the areas of digital transformation and industrial modernization. Pakistan and Türkiye will organize an IT Business Forum and strengthen SME cooperation under the SMEDA–KOSGEB MoU. In agriculture, the two sides agreed to collaborate in livestock health, irrigation, fisheries, and the development of digital crop surveillance systems.
On the financial front, both sides agreed to explore Turkish banks’ presence in Pakistan, strengthen Islamic and digital finance, and expand cooperation between Exim Banks. The two countries also committed to finalizing an MoU on labour cooperation covering labour rights, women’s employment, child protection, and social security sustainability, and to establish a Joint Working Commission on Labour.
Further agreements include the operationalization of the Pakistan-Türkiye Textile Technology Centre at NTU Faisalabad, expansion of academic and vocational exchange programs, and increased collaboration in tourism, pharmaceuticals, health tourism, and heritage conservation. Youth and sports cooperation will be enhanced through a dedicated Working Group, alongside greater engagement on social protection and climate change.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs welcomes the renewed momentum in Pakistan–Türkiye economic relations and looks forward to the timely implementation of the key decisions and projects outlined during this session. The outcomes reaffirm the shared vision of both nations to build a deeper, broader, and more strategic economic partnership.
