ISLAMABAD — Experts from the Turkish International Cooperation Agency will train workers from Pakistan's huge textile industry to help increase production and abide by EU norms in a bid to boost exports to the region.

Turkish experts are going to train members of Pakistan's textile sector, which makes up 70 percent of the country's nearly $25 billion (TL 52.4 billion) exports. The Turkish International Cooperation Agency (TIKA) will train Pakistani textile workers to improve their skills and expertise with an aim on increasing production, Mustafa Giray Tezel, the TIKA coordinator for Pakistan said after meeting office bearers of the Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association in the northeastern city of Lahore, local media reported on Sunday. "Turkey will provide experts to offer training to the Pakistani workforce in order to fulfill the requirements of local industrial textile units, especially those engaged in exporting to European countries," said Tezel. Pakistan's textile sector expects an economic boom after the EU a few months ago granted access to its products in 27 states. Pakistan is currently facing a shortage of 40,000 skilled workers in the textile sector, which, at present, already employs 360,000 workers.