Turkish President Recep Tayyib Erdogan and Prime Minister Shehbaz Shehbaz have signed a string of agreements aiming at bolstering bilateral commercial traffic between the two countries, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
After holding delegation-level talks at PM House in Islamabad on Thursday, President Erdogan and PM Shehbaz inked 24 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) across various sectors, including trade, media, defence, and healthcare.
The agreements aimed at enhancing economic cooperation, investment, and technological exchanges between the two nations.
Both sides signed a declaration to further strengthen strategic relations between Pakistan and Turkiye. Another MoU was signed for exchange of military, civil personnel on socio-cultural basis.
Pakistan and Turkiye exchanged the signed documents of several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), protocols and cooperation agreements in various fields to step-up bilateral ties in various fields during the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Pakistan.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan witnessed exchanges of the accords between the two sides.
On the occasion, PM Shehbaz Sharif and President Erdogan also signed the joint declaration of 7th meeting of High Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) to further deepen strategic partnership between Pakistan and Turkiye.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Turkish Minister of Trade Omer Bolat exchanged the signed documents of the declaration on the MoU between Export Credit Bank of Turkiye and Export Import Bank of Pakistan.
Minister of Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, and Turkish Minister for Trade Omer Bolat exchange documents of the joint ministerial statement on cooperation of the verification of origin certificates used in trade, and an MoU on digitalization of the verification of origin certificates used in trade.
Similarly, an MoU on cooperation in the field of industrial property was also exchanged by Minister of Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and Turkish Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacir.
In defence sector, an MoU on exchange of military and civilian personnel for social and cultural purposes was exchanged by Minister of Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Turkish Minister of Defence Yasar Guler.
Minister of Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Turkish Minister of Defence Yasar Guler also exchanged the signed documents of MoU on cooperation in Air Force Electronic Warfare and an MoU between the Secretariat of Defence Industries and the Ministry of Defence Production, Pakistan.
Likewise, a protocol on training and cooperation in the field of military health was exchanged between Minister of Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Turkish Minister of Defence Yasar Guler.
Another MoU between Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and Naval Research and Development Institute (NRDI) of Pakistan was exchanged by DG NRDI Pakistan Navy, R/Admiral Javed Iqbal HI (M) and Director Turkish Aerospace Industries Dr Mehmet Demiroglu.
In the field of Science and Technology, an MoU for cooperation in halal trade was signed by Minister of Science and Technology Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Turkish Minister of Trade Omer Bolat. Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Turkish Minister of Industries and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacir also exchanged the singed copies of an MoU on the Establishment of Legal Metrology Infrastructure.
Additionally, in National Food Security and Research sector, the two sides signed cooperation agreement on Seed Protocol to amend the agreement. The documents were exchanged between Minister of National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain and Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Ibrahim Yumakli.
Similarly, in energy sector, the two sides signed protocol to amend the agreement on cooperation in the field of hydrocarbons. The documents were exchanged between Minister for Energy Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari and Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar.
The two ministers also exchanged documents of two MoUs on cooperation in the field of energy transition, and cooperation in the field of mining.
The two sides also signed cooperation agreement in the field of water. The documents were exchanged between Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain, and Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Ibrahim Yumakli.
Minister of Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar and Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun exchanged the signed documents of MoUs on cooperation in the field of public relations and communications.
Meanwhile, the two sides signed MoU on the cooperation in the fields of religious services and religious education. The signed documents were exchanged by Minister of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Chaudhry Salik Hussain and Professor Dr Ali Ebras.
Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacir also exchanged documents of MoU between scientific and technological research council Türkiye & National Textile University (NTU), Faisalabad, for Technical Assistance and development of Pakistan-Türkiye textile technology center.
Rana Tanveer Hussain and Hakan Fidan exchanged documents of MoU on technical cooperation in the field of health and pharmaceuticals.
Likewise, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan exchanged the signed documents of MoU in the field of technical cooperation between Central Bank of Turkiye (CBRT) and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
Attaullah Tarar and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan exchanged two documents of agreement on cultural cooperation, and agreement on co-production in audio visual services.
In addition to exchange of the documents, two MoUs have also been signed at Pakistan-Turkiye Business Forum.
$5 billion trade volume
Pakistan and Turkiye have agreed to continue their efforts to reach the goal of five billion dollars trade volume.
This came at a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistan-Turkiye High Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting in Islamabad on Thursday.
Later addressing a press stakeout, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said both the countries have considered expanding the scope of their current goods trade agreement in the first stage. Erdogan said Turkish investors will be encouraged to engage more in Pakistan and develop flagship projects.
He said our military dialogue and cooperation in defense industry have grown our trade and investment relations exponentially. He said the two sides have reaffirmed the determination to advance the projects and potential areas of cooperation including procurement, sales and joint manufacturing.
Referring to the 24 agreements signed today, the Turkish President expressed the confidence that they will prove beneficial for the two countries and the region.
Erdogan appreciated Pakistan's great sacrifices in the war against terrorism. He reemphasized Turkiye's unconditional support to Pakistan in its fight against all forms of terrorism.
The Turkish President said his country stands in solidarity with Kashmiri brothers. He said Turkiye will continue its firm support for the resolution of Kashmir dispute through dialogue based on the UN resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan also commended Pakistan's unwavering stance on Palestine issue, saying both the countries will continue to work together for the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
In his remarks, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was appreciative of Turkiye's clear and consistent stance on Jammu and Kashmir dispute. He said Pakistan fully supports the cause of Northern Cyprus and firmly stands by Turkiye over the matter.
Shehbaz Sharif said Turkiye has always stood by Pakistan through thick and thin including floods and earthquakes. He said the spirit of compassion and generosity has been the guiding principle of this enduring partnership. He expressed confidence that the brotherhood and fraternal ties between the two countries will get stronger by the time. He also emphasized that the visit of Turkish President has given a new level to our brotherly relations.
The Prime Minister said the two sides today discussed a range of issues from trade and investment to strategic and defense cooperation. He said the agreements and MOUs signed today including announcement of SEZ to be built by Turkish firms for industrial production are all going to be materialized through joint cooperation. He assured that he will work closely with the Turkish President to convert these agreements into action.
Later, the Prime Minister hosted a luncheon in honour of the Turkish President and his delegation.
Guard of honour
A warm and heartiest welcome was accorded to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and First Lady Emine Erdogan when they were received by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at PM House in Islamabad on Thursday, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday was given a guard of honour at the Prime Minister’s House as he arrived to hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Prime Minister Shehbaz warmly welcomed President Erdogan at the main entrance of the PM House.
As President Erdogan’s motorcade made its way along Constitution Avenue, it was greeted by a vibrant display of flags of Pakistan and Turkiye, as well as welcoming banners. The local artists dressed in traditional attires performed lively folk dances along the roadside. A group of men, wearing white cloaks and tall conical hats performed the symbolic dance of whirling dervishes, popular in Turkish culture.
At the formal welcome reception at PM House, the national anthems of Pakistan and Turkiye were played as the dignitary stood at the salute dais.
The smartly turned-out contingents of the armed forces presented a guard of honour to President Erdogan which he reviewed.
Later, Prime Minister Shehbaz and President Erdogan introduced their respective delegations to each other before proceeding to the bilateral meeting.
The Turkish president also planted a pine tree sapling in the lawns of the PM House to mark the deep-rooted friendship between the two nations.
A squadron of Pakistan Air Force jets performed a magnificent flypast to welcome the Turkish president. Chief of the Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir was also present on the occasion.
Later, in the day, both leaders will lead their respective delegations at the meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council to discuss bilateral cooperation in multiple fields.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took to social media platform X to warmly welcome Turkish President Erdogan and First Lady Emine to Pakistan.
In his heartfelt message, the Prime Minister expressed the nation's deep admiration for President Erdogan, calling him a "Visionary Politician" who has transformed Turkiye.
Shehbaz Sharif also highlighted the enduring, strong ties between Pakistan and Turkiye, noting how the historical, deep, and brotherly relations between the two countries have grown even stronger under Erdogan's dynamic leadership.
The Prime Minister said President Erdoğan's visit marked a historic moment and underscored Pakistan's eagerness to elevate brotherly relations to new heights.