'PM Sharif's visit to bring new dimension to Turkey-Pakistan ties'
Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu shakes hands with his Pakistani counterpart Bilaval Butto Zerdari at the Foreign Ministry headquarters in Ankara, June 1, 2022. (AA Photo)


Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif's official visit to Turkey will bring a "new dimension" to bilateral ties between the two countries, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said after meeting him on Wednesday.

"Met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of brotherly Pakistan. His timely visit will bring new dimensions to our outstanding relations," Çavuşoğlu said on Twitter.

Sharif landed in the Turkish capital on Tuesday on a three-day official visit, his first tour to Turkey since taking office in April.

During the meeting, Sharif expressed the importance of increasing bilateral trade volume to $5 billion over the next three years, according to a statement by Pakistan's Foreign Ministry.

"The prime minister noted that the bilateral relations were exceptionally warm as the people of the two countries shared special bonds that dated back centuries," the ministry said in a statement.

Sharif also highlighted convergence between the two countries on a range of regional and international issues, it added.

In his address to the Turkey-Pakistan Business Council on Tuesday evening, he said Islamabad wanted to boost bilateral trade and cultural ties with Ankara.

Sharif is scheduled to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan later in the day, which will be followed by a joint press conference.