Pakistan’s prime minister is set to arrive in Turkey on Tuesday on a three-day official visit to address bilateral relations and regional developments with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The trip will mark Shahbaz Sharif’s first visit to Turkey since he assumed office in mid-April after former Prime Minister Imran Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote following political turmoil.
Sharif’s meeting with Erdoğan will cover the “entire gamut” of Pakistan-Turkey bilateral relations and address regional and international issues, a statement by the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said Monday.
Accompanied by a high-level delegation, the prime minister will also have “extensive interaction” with leading Turkish businesspeople and potential investors from a range of industries, the statement noted.
A business delegation from Pakistan comprising representatives of leading companies across various sectors will travel separately to Turkey to participate in the business engagements, it added.
Sharif will also attend a Pakistan-Turkey Business Council Forum, hosted in collaboration with the Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK).
“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,” the statement said.
“Prominent businesspeople from Pakistan will participate in these events and will also hold B2B meetings on the sidelines,” it added.
Turkish companies have invested more than $1 billion in Pakistan in different sectors, including construction, power, solid waste management, hygiene products, electronics and dairy.
This year, Pakistan and Turkey are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, underpinned by structured institutional mechanisms.
The High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council is the primary platform at the leadership level, which has been instrumental in further cementing bilateral relations.
Six sessions of the HLSCC have taken place so far, with the 7th 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 Foreign Ministry said.
“The Turkish leadership and government have steadfastly supported the just cause of Kashmir. Turkey is an important and active member of the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir,” it noted.
“The two countries have convergent views on a range of issues including peaceful and stable Afghanistan, Palestine and countering Islamophobia,” it added.
The statement said Sharif’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 multidimensional strategic relationship between the two countries and will impart fresh impetus to the efforts to take this unique partnership to new heights,” it added.
