ISLAMABAD: Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) has enhanced its membership as Turkey has recently become its 22nd member state.
The membership of Turkey to COMSATS was formalized at a signing ceremony held here.
Ambassador of Turkey to Pakistan, M. Babur Hizlan and Executive Director COMSATS Dr. I.E. Qureshi,, signed the accession agreement on behalf of their sides respectively.
Turkey has been associated with COMSATS since its inception through its Centre of Excellence in Turkey - TUBITAK Marmara Research Center (MAM).
According to an official of COMSATS "Efforts were underway for the last couple of years to include Turkey as COMSATS' member state, which included the visit of the Executive Director to TUBITAK (the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) headquarters in December 2010.
Earlier, COMSATS had added/re-designated three scientific institutions in its Network of Centres of Excellence.
In his remarks on the occasion, chief guest Federal Minister for Science & Technology Mir Changez Khan Jamali said that the relationship between Pakistan and Turkey is firmly based on principles of mutual respect, economic cooperation and non- interference into the internal affairs of each other.
Executive Director COMSATS, Dr. I.E. Qureshi, in his welcome address recounted the efforts that led to Turkey's accession to COMSATS.
He further said that it is a matter of honour for COMSATS to have Turkey as a member state.
For Turkey, the excellent infrastructure and cooperation framework available in the form of COMSATS is another door to reach out to a group of 21 developing countries across three continents.
The Turkey's ambassador Hizlan also expressed pleasure at this development and believed that it would be of mutual benefit to Turkey, and other member states COMSATS.
He said Turkey has an advanced R&D infrastructure and rapidly developing industries relevant to information technology, space technology, machinery, construction, aviation, shipping and automobiles, and has a great potential to play a leadership role for scientific development of the South.
"COMSATS' role as the facilitator of S&T-led cooperation, coupled with the S&T potential of Turkey, could more effectively help achieve its mission of South-South cooperation for the progress of the developing world".
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Sector, Shahnaz Wazir Ali on the occasion recalled her past and present association with COMSATS and considered it to be one of the most important forums through which Pakistan is extending help to other developing countries and in exchange benefitting from bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
The government has always remained committed to support COMSATS programmes and activities, through generous funding of its Secretariat in Islamabad, she remarked.
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