Islamabad (TDI): Pakistan and Türkiye moved closer to a major energy partnership on Tuesday, signing five memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and deeds of assignment (DoAs) focused on oil and gas exploration, including both offshore and onshore fields.
The agreements, which were formally exchanged during a ceremony witnessed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Türkiye’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, require both countries to collaborate on petroleum exploration, expand cooperation into mining and power sector equity, and deepen investment ties.
Among the deals signed are agreements for the Eastern Offshore Indus C block, the Ziarat North onshore block, Sukhpur II block, Deep C block, and Offshore Deep F block.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the development as yet another step in the historic and fraternal friendship between Pakistan and Turkiye, expressing optimism that energy collaboration would give new momentum to economic ties and strengthen regional stability.
Meanwhile, Minister Bayraktar noted that his visit and the agreements concluded reflect a shared ambition to grow annual bilateral trade toward their $5 billion target, with energy and mining expected to play a central role.
In June 2022, PM Sharif and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan agreed to expand bilateral trade to $5 billion within three years, up from $1.1 billion in 2021.
Read More: Turkiye, Pakistan to Advance Cooperation in Energy and Minerals With Joint Ventures
The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of deepening collaboration in the energy, petroleum, and mineral sectors. He noted that Turkish Petroleum’s participation in Pakistan’s offshore and onshore exploration marks a significant milestone.
He invited Turkish companies to increase investment in Pakistan’s energy market and emphasized close coordination between the two countries amid changing regional and global dynamics.
Both sides agreed that a Pakistani ministerial delegation will soon visit Türkiye to explore further cooperation in these sectors.
Pakistan’s petroleum companies, including Mari Energies, Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), and Pakistan Petroleum Ltd. (PPL), as well as their Turkish partners, presented detailed plans outlining exploration, production, and potential for joint ventures in energy and mineral resources.
The visiting Turkish delegation also notified Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik that Turkiye’s national oil company will inaugurate its Islamabad office this month, staffed by ten Turkish professionals alongside local employees.
Both sides further agreed to examine the possibility of establishing a joint trading entity to coordinate petroleum procurement and fulfill their energy needs collaboratively.
Minahil Khurshid holds a Master's in Peace and Conflict Studies from NUST. She is passionate about current affairs, public policy, and geopolitics.
