November 21, 2006	Tuesday	Shawwal 28, 1427

ISLAMABAD, Nov 20: Pakistan-Azerbaijan Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) meeting being held next month will focus information technology, oil and gas sectors and privatisation and investment.

Ambassador Extraordinary of Azerbaijan Dr Eynulla Madatli stated this during a meeting with Federal Minister for Privatisation and Investment Zahid Hamid here on Monday.

The envoy said that in view of the remarkable recent economic achievements made by Pakistan, the Republic of Azerbaijan intended to benefit from the experience of Pakistan in services, transport sectors, privatisation and investment fronts.

Mr Hamid assured the envoy of full assistance for benefiting from Pakistan’s experience in establishing the regulatory regimes and the process of open, fair and transparent privatisation and investment activities.

The minister also informed the envoy that privatisation proceeds worth $5.3 billion had been realised by privatising 58 transactions during the past seven years.

The government is giving priority to bring the private sector forward through the best privatisation programme, which has been acknowledged worldwide by the international institutions, he added.

Ambassador of Turkey to Pakistan Kemal Gur in a separate meeting with the minister, while paying a farewell visit after serving more than four years in Pakistan, informed that Turkish investors were keen to invest in power, wind energy and infrastructure sectors in Pakistan.Mr Zahid said that Pakistan had vast potential of hydel power projects and efforts were on to increase the number of flights with new routes between the two countries through the joint flight operation.

The minister lauded the efforts of the Turkish envoy in further cementing the relations between the two countries.