ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will pay an official visit to Turkey from 31st May-2nd June 2022. This was revealed by Foreign Office on Monday.
Foreign Office stated that it will be prime minister’s first visit to Turkey since assuming office. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was the first world leader to call the Prime Minister on 11th April 2022 to felicitate him. The two leaders also spoke on the telephone on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.
The prime minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including ministers, SAPMs, and senior officials. A business delegation from Pakistan comprising representatives of leading companies across various sectors will travel separately to Turkey to participate in the business engagements.
During the visit, the prime minister will have a tete-a-tete with President Erdogan. This would be followed by delegation-level talks. Besides covering the entire gamut of Pakistan-Turkey bilateral relations, the two leaders will exchange views on regional and international issues. Both leaders will address a joint press stakeout after their meetings. President Erdogan will host a dinner in honour of the prime minister.
This year, Pakistan and Turkey are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
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During the visit, the prime minister of Pakistan and the president of Turkey would jointly unveil a logo, marking the commencement of celebrations of this important milestone in the long history of exceptional bilateral ties.
The Turkish Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Health would call on the prime minister during the visit.
The prime minister will have extensive interaction with leading Turkish businessmen and potential investors from diverse sectors.
He will be hosted by president of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB). The prime minister will also attend a Pakistan-Turkey Business Council Forum, hosted in collaboration with DEIK (Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board).
During these events, the prime minister will highlight Pakistan’s vast investment potential and encourage Turkish companies to invest in Pakistan and work to strengthen Pakistan-Turkey trade and economic ties. Prominent businessmen from Pakistan will participate in these events and will also hold B2B meetings on the sidelines.
The relationship between Pakistan and Turkey is underpinned by structured institutional mechanisms. The High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) is the primary platform at the leadership-level, which has been instrumental in further cementing bilateral relations. So far, six sessions of the HLSCC have taken place. The 7th session is slated to take place this year.
The historic and long-standing relations between Pakistan and Turkey are firmly anchored in common faith, shared history, and a glorious tradition of mutual support to each other on issues of core interest. The Turkish leadership and government have steadfastly supported the just cause of Kashmir. Turkey is an important and active member of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir. The two countries have convergent views on a range of issues including peaceful and stable Afghanistan, Palestine, and countering Islamophobia.
A large number of Turkish companies have invested more than US one billion dollars in different sectors (construction, power, solid waste management, hygiene products, electronics and dairy etc) in Pakistan. Prominent investors included Al Bayrak, Oz Pak, Zorlu, Arcelik, Siyahkalem, Sutas, Coca-Cola Icecek, and Hayat Kimiya. Heads of selected Turkish companies will also call on the PM during his stay in Ankara.
Besides being part of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries, the prime minister’s visit to Turkey is important in the context of deepening and broadening bilateral cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, regional connectivity, health, education, culture and people-to-people relations. It will help in further strengthening the leadership dialogue and existing multi-dimensional strategic relationship between the two countries and will impart fresh impetus to the efforts to take this unique partnership to new heights.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister of Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Monday said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s first visit to Turkey will be on May 31 and will last till June 2.
Revealing the details, she said the visit is part of a series of renewed bilateral relations with Pakistan’s traditional trusted friends and brotherly countries. In addition to promoting relations between the two countries, the minister added.
She said cooperation in investment, trade, health, education, culture and other areas of mutual interest was also important. The Pak-Turkish Business Council will also hold meetings with Turkish investors and businessmen.
The prime minister will pay a visit to the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk during his visit.
Accompanied by President Erdogan, the prime minister will issue a commemorative plaque on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Pakistan.
President Erdogan will host a dinner in honour of the prime minister.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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