Islamabad (TDI): Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has embarked on a visit to Ankara to engage in high-level discussions with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The visit would focus on discussions regarding regional issues as well as strengthening bilateral relations between Pakistan and Türkiye.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan stated that Prime Minister Shahbaz and the Turkish President would exchange views on the recent regional and global developments.
“As longstanding allies and strategic partners, Pakistan and Türkiye maintain a tradition of regular high-level exchanges, reflecting the exceptional bonds of brotherhood between the two nations,” the Foreign Office said.
To promote high-level cooperation, Pakistan and Türkiye have formed a joint institutionalized leadership-level mechanism in the form of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), which aims to strengthen cooperation and coordination between the two countries on issues of mutual interest.
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The High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) was established in 2009 and has been considered the highest decision-making forum between Pakistan and Türkiye, promoting cooperation through joint standing committees on investment, trade, energy, defense, health, education and agriculture.
In February 2025, the 7th session of HLSCC was organized in Islamabad, and was co-chaired by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shahbaz Sharif, and the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Talking about the visit, the Foreign Office of Pakistan further stated, “The upcoming meeting represents a continuation of this robust dialogue and underscores the shared commitment to further elevate the multifaceted partnership between Pakistan and Turkiye.”
The recent visit was organized just months after the Turkish President visited Islamabad in February 2025, during which the two countries had signed 24 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and reaffirmed their commitment to expand bilateral trade to nearly $5 billion.
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Some of the key agreements signed by the two leaders included the Trade in Goods Agreement (TGA), defense cooperation agreements, and MoUs for the facilitation of Turkish investments in Pakistan.
Both leaders also agreed to operationalize the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul trade corridor and strengthen collaboration in digital trade. President Erdogan urged to Turkish business community to engage more actively with Pakistan.
On the occasion, the Turkish President said, “We have agreed with Prime Minister Sharif to continue our efforts to reach the $5 billion trade volume target between Türkiye and Pakistan.”
He further stated, “To this end, we are expanding the scope of our current goods trade agreement as a first step.”
Last year, the bilateral trade between Pakistan and Türkiye had reached a record high of $1.4 billion, an increase of around 30% compared to 2023.
Javaria Khalid is a writer and researcher, who specializes in Pakistan's Foreign Policy Analysis, transatlantic geopolitics, and Pakistan’s relations with the European countries and the EU. She can be reached at javariakhalid011@outlook.com
