- Both countries sign 11 agreements, MoUs to bolster ties
- PM Sharif says Pakistan and Turkey indispensible partners
- Turkish PM announces additional support of $20m for IDPs and flood-affected people
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said Tuesday that Pakistan and Turkey are indispensable partners working assiduously to promote peace and prosperity for their people and the region.
He was addressing the 4th meeting of the Pakistan-Turkey High Level Strategic Cooperation Council in Islamabad along with visiting Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.
The premier said Pakistan-Turkey relationship is unparalleled in inter-state relations. The special ties have flourished due to successive generations of leaders in the two countries, he said.
He expressed gratitude over the strong and spontaneous support extended by the Turkish leadership and people following the Peshawar school attack.
Addressing the meeting, Davutoglu said Turkey-Pakistan relationship is exemplary.
He said there are no countries who feel they have common destiny like Pakistan and Turkey. He added that Turkish and Pakistani leaders have been visiting each other’s countries but now these visits have been systemised.
The meeting also discussed ways and means to enhance cooperation between the two countries in diverse fields, including economy, trade, energy, communications, education, culture and tourism.
Earlier, both leaders held a one-on-one meeting which was followed by delegation-level talks.
Pakistan and Turkey also signed 11 additional agreements and MoUs to strengthen their relations in different areas.
These included one agreement, five protocols, three MoUs, one additional protocol and a Joint Declaration to strengthen their strategic relationship.
The two counties also agreed to work towards a Free Trade Agreement to enhance bilateral trade to $3 billion in two years and an ambitious aim of boosting it to $5-10 billion in the next few years.
“We are embarking on new trade liberalisation initiatives,” Prime Minister Sharif said in his remarks to the press as his Turkish counterpart agreed that both the countries have great potential in trade.
“What we need is more interaction, cooperation and a better atmosphere,” Turkish Prime Minister said in his remarks.
He said both the countries also needed a better and efficient transport network and desired greater frequency of flights of Pakistan International and Turkish Airlines between the two countries.
He also spoke of need of having more cooperation in railways, maritime and energy to promote trade.
The Turkish prime minister also announced an additional support of $20 million for internally displaced persons and the flood-affected people.
The Joint Declaration issued by the meeting said that Pakistan and Turkey have decided to transform the cordial bilateral relationship into a robust strategic partnership in diverse fields including economy, energy, communication and defence.
The two sides emphasized the common vision for peace and development for their peoples and the region. They reaffirmed the resolve to fight extremism and terrorism in all forms and manifestations.
The declaration strongly condemned the defamation campaign against the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the religion of Islam and called for criminalization of all acts of Islamophobia.
The two sides agreed to intensive exchanges at the leadership, parliamentary, business, cultural, civil society, media and people-to-people levels. Both sides agreed on the need to make the United Nations Security Council more representative, democratic, transparent, effective and accountable, and that UNSC reform should be comprehensive and it should take place by widest consensus possible.
Both sides decided to intensify politico-military cooperation, while defence-related industries would focus on joint defence production and related research and development activities.
The declaration said that cooperation in the fields of finance and banking including insurance, capital market, anti-money laundering, budget, financial reporting and audit shall be enhanced. Both sides expressed their willingness to improve energy cooperation with focus on petroleum, natural gas, coal, hydroelectric, geo-thermal and renewable resources such as wind and solar power.
Pakistani side invited Turkish companies to invest in energy sector projects in Pakistan, especially in the field of coal based power generation and power transmission sector.
The declaration said both countries will enhance cooperation in the field of food and agriculture. Both sides shall benefit from each other’s experience and strengths in diverse sectors including agricultural research, plant and animal health and agricultural infrastructure and irrigation systems.
DEFENCE AND SECURITY COOPERATION:
Pakistan and Turkey have also agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in the fields of defence and security.
The consensus emerged during a meeting between Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif and Davutoglu in Rawalpindi Army General Headquarters.
“Matters related to regional and bilateral security and defence cooperation came under discussion,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a short statement after the meeting.
The Turkish prime minister lauded the success achieved by Pakistan security forces in their fight against terrorism.
Later in the day, the Turkish prime minister called upon President Mamnoon Hussain, who also hosted a dinner in honour of the visiting dignitary and the accompanying delegation.
This is the Turkish prime minister’s first visit to Pakistan since taking office in August last year. A high-level delegation, including several cabinet ministers and government officials, has also accompanied him.
The Turkish premier is also joined by a representative delegation of Turkey’s top businessmen.
