ISLAMABAD: In order to popularise Pakistani mangoes in Turkey and facilitate their availability in the Turkish market, the Embassy of Pakistan in collaboration with Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and Swissotel Ankara organised a Pakistan Mango Festival in Ankara.
Key political figures, representatives of the food and beverages industry, fruit importers, diplomats and media representatives had a first-hand experience of the taste, juiciness and aroma of Pakistani mangoes, a message received here from Ankara on Thursday said.
The Pakistan Mango Festival included a wide-range of mango delicacies such as mango ice cream, mango souffl‚, mango mousse, mango trifle, mango tart, mango pudding, mango salad, mango milk-shake, mango lassi, and mango cake, made of freshly-arrived mangoes from Pakistan were served to the guests.
Pakistani cuisine including `Biryani’ made of famous Pakistani Basmati rice was also served. Welcoming the guests to the festival, Ambassador Sohail Mahmood said Pakistan was the 5th largest producer of mangoes in the world and 6th largest exporter of this “King of Fruits.”
He said that Pakistan was exporting mangoes to 57 countries including the US, European Union and Japan. He also informed the participants that there were over 110 varieties of high quality mangoes including Sindhri, Anwar Retaul, Lungra, Malda, Dusehri, Fajri, Chaunsa and others.
Ambassador Sohail Mahmood said that the Pakistan Embassy had further intensified its efforts to popularise mangoes and in this context a promotional event was also organised at a leading super market in Ankara last week. “Pakistan and Turkey are moving towards concluding the Free Trade Agreement (FTA),” he said, and observed that the FTA will help availability of Pakistani mangoes in Turkish market on a regular basis.
Pakistan-Turkey Cultural Association Chairman and Turkish Grand National Assembly Member from Van, Burhan Kayaturk, in his speech appreciated the unique flavor of Pakistani mangoes and termed it as number one in taste in the world.
He said he had spent over ten years in Pakistan and the major things that he missed about Pakistan were its delicious mangoes. He appreciated the efforts to make mangoes available for Turkish people and consumers on a regular basis. The proceedings started with observance of one-minute silence for the martyrs of democracy on the night of 15 July and for all the innocent people who had lost their lives in recent terrorist attacks in Turkey, Pakistan and other places.
The event was also attended by a large number of Ankara-based ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic missions as well as relevant Turkish ministries/departments.
