Pakistan and Turkey strengthen strategic and economic ties – Pakistan

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ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greets Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif upon his arrival at the presidential compound for an official ceremony on Wednesday.—AFP

• Two parties sign six bilateral MoUs in various fields
• Shehbaz discusses regional and international issues with Turkish Foreign Minister
• Search for investments in the hydropower and renewable energy sectors in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Turkey on Wednesday pledged to strengthen their strategic and economic relations and agreed to take steps to eliminate terrorism.

The countries made the commitments during a one-on-one meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. They then made their commitment public at a joint press conference at the presidential compound in Ankara.

At the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Erdogan agreed to visit Pakistan in September this year for talks on issues of common concern.

In a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Sharif and President Erdogan, the two sides signed six bilateral MoUs on public debt management, cooperation between credit guarantee institutions for SME financing, housing, public-private partnership models, particularly in transport and health, knowledge participation in the planning of economic and social policies and technical cooperation in the field of road engineering.

Delegation-level talks also took place in which Prime Minister Sharif and President Erdogan led their respective teams.

During the joint press conference, Prime Minister Sharif said: “Our relations rooted in cultural, economic, diplomatic and strategic ties will be strengthened in the days to come. In fact, Turkey is like our second home.

He said that this year the two sides are celebrating the 75th anniversary of their bilateral relationship which has flourished under the dynamic leadership of President Erdogan. “I am very happy to announce that the next high-level meeting between the two sides will be held in Islamabad in September,” he added.

The Prime Minister invited Turkish investors to invest in Pakistan’s hydropower and renewable energy and said Turkey was quite advanced in this sector. “Invest in this sector in Pakistan to make profit and we will get cheap energy,” he added.

He said the two nations always stood by each other when needed. “Pakistani people support Turkey and Turkey supports Pakistan on Azad Jammu and Kashmir issue,” he said, adding that Pakistan would never give up on the Kashmiri people.

He recalled that the Turkish Defense Minister visited Pakistan on May 20 and that the two sides decided to strengthen defense cooperation and that Turkey agreed to help Pakistan in the manufacture of helicopters.

Prime Minister Sharif has said Indian aggression in occupied Jammu and Kashmir is a threat to regional peace. “Vis-a-vis Pakistan, support Turkish territorial disputes, fight against terrorism… Turkey’s enemy is Pakistan’s enemy,” he added.

He said both sides were committed to continuing to support the Afghan people, with Pakistan and Turkey being the two countries hosting the largest number of refugees in the world.

Speaking on the occasion, the Turkish President said he had a detailed talk with Prime Minister Sharif on a wide range of international issues and issues. He said the two sides agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in various fields.

“Economic cooperation between the two countries is imperative,” he added.

Mr. Erdogan pledged to support Pakistan’s position on Kashmir and expressed a desire to continue supporting the war-torn Afghan people.

Shehbaz meets Turkish FM

During a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavusoglu, Prime Minister Sharif highlighted the convergence between the two countries on a range of regional and international issues and stressed the need for close and continuous coordination.

The Prime Minister particularly stressed the importance of increasing the bilateral trade volume to $5 billion over the next three years.

He also stressed readiness to fully facilitate Turkish businesses in Pakistan and invited them to invest in various sectors, including agribusiness, agriculture, automotive, information technology, hydel, solar and wind energy.

Noting the two countries’ unwavering support for each other on matters of fundamental concern, the Prime Minister thanked the Foreign Minister for Turkey’s principled policy on Jammu and Kashmir.

On Afghanistan, Mr. Sharif stressed the importance of addressing the dire humanitarian situation, freeing up Afghan resources to help stabilize the economy and continuing efforts towards lasting peace and stability. in the country.

PM invites Turkish investors

Prime Minister Sharif said Pakistan is “sincerely and earnestly” willing to strengthen bilateral, commercial and cultural ties with Turkey, while advocating for the Turkish business community to invest in Pakistan.

“Suffice to say that we are here to convey this message to our Turkish brothers and sisters, President Tayyip Erdogan and his team, as well as to the Turkish business community, that we sincerely and seriously want to work with you,” said the Prime Minister speaking. at the Turkey-Pakistan Business Council in Ankara.

“We have been partners and supported each other through thick and thin,” he said, adding that he hosted “hundreds of business people” between 2008 and 2018.

“Your active participation in investing in Pakistan is greatly appreciated. And especially your participation in humanitarian projects in Pakistan is well known. Today, we are here to seriously engage with you because you are very serious business people, and your achievements are outstanding and a shining example for us all.

He called on the two countries to collaborate and cooperate in various sectors, including the automotive industry, agriculture, textiles and alternative energy.

Posted in Dawn, June 2, 2022

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