Istanbul (TDI): In the first leg of his four-nation tour, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday arrived in Turkiye, where he met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to not only thank Ankara for its support during recent tensions with India but also enhance bilateral economic cooperation.
“Both leaders reaffirmed their principled support for each other’s core concerns, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute,” Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement on Sunday.
During his meeting with President Erdogan, PM Shehbaz called for joint ventures and increased bilateral investment, underlining major sectors such as renewable energy, IT, infrastructure development, defense production, and agriculture as promising areas for collaboration.
The two leaders also discussed the entire spectrum of bilateral ties and reiterated their commitment to elevate the strategic partnership. They also reviewed the progress on key decisions made during the seventh session of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), held in Islamabad on February 13. They reaffirmed their commitment to achieving the previously agreed $5 billion annual bilateral trade target.
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Alongside bilateral matters, they exchanged views on critical regional and global developments. Both leaders also expressed concern over the serious humanitarian situation in Gaza, urgently demanding an immediate ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian access to the affected Palestinian population.
PM Shehbaz, who was accompanied by Field Marshal Gen. Syed Asim Munir, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the government and people of Turkiye for their strong support to Pakistan during the recent tensions with India.
He praised Ankara’s principled stance and the firm support of goodwill of the Turkish people for Pakistan and termed it as a source of great comfort and strength for Islamabad.
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He highlighted the unwavering commitment, courage and spirit of sacrifice shown by of Pakistan armed forces, along with their exceptional patriotism, which played a key role in the country’s success in Marak-i-Haq and Operation Bunyanum Marsoos.
Following his two-day visit to Turkiye, Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Iran, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan this week.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
