By Hamid Mahmood ISLAMABAD, May 31 (INP-WealthPK): Pakistan and Turkey have emphasised the importance of increased collaboration in commerce, culture, and defence. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu during a recent meeting in New York reiterated their commitment to strengthen bilateral ties and assist each other in various regional and international fora, says the Foreign Office. The available data of 2021 shows that the bilateral trade volume has reached $829.66 million, and it will reach the target of $1 billion when full data for the year is available. The Turkish foreign minister recently emphasised that bilateral commerce of $800 million is insufficient and should be increased to its full potential. Electric generating sets, heavy pure woven cotton, and non-retail pure cotton yarn are the primary items Pakistan sends to Turkey. [caption id="attachment_67720" align="aligncenter" width="696"] Source: UN Comtrade database/WealthPK research[/caption] Both the countries have signed a number of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) including the Pakistan-Turkey Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the Pakistan-Iran-Turkey cargo rail service. Apart from all economic endeavours, Pakistan should take extra steps to reprioritise trade advancement. Both nations should promote more people-to-people connections, such as student exchange programs, conferences focusing on public-private partnerships, and seminars targeted at boosting start-ups, since they want their people to connect. Prioritising economic ties based on trade, banking partnerships, development projects, and tourism would not compel Pakistan to abandon its security objectives or downgrade its defence cooperation with Turkey. Recalibrating the country's foreign policy agenda requires realising that economic demands are just as crucial as security needs, especially when dealing with friendly nations like Turkey. Pakistan's economic troubles are now a foreign policy concern as well as a domestic one. Exploring an economic dimension within the bilateral relationship sounds logical, given Turkey's close cooperation with Pakistan and President Erdogan's four addresses to Pakistan’s Parliament.