ISLAMABAD: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be visiting Pakistan from today, February 12-13, accompanied by a high-level delegation, including ministers, senior officials as well as corporate leaders.
“The visit of Turkish president and holding of 7th session of Pakistan-Turkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) would serve to further deepen the brotherly relations and enhance multifaceted cooperation between the two countries,” said the Foreign Office.
This will be President Erdogan’s first official visit to Pakistan after the formation of new government here in March 2024. “During the visit, PM Shehbaz Sharif and President Erdogan will co-chair 7th session of Pakistan-Turkiye HLSCC. At the conclusion of the session, a joint declaration and a number of important agreements/MoUs are expected to be signed,” said Foreign Office.
President Erdogan will have a very busy schedule in which he will also have bilateral meetings with PM Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Zardari.
“Together with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, he will address the Pakistan-Turkiye Business and Investment Forum, bringing together leading investors, companies and businesspeople from both sides,” added the statement.
The HLSCC is the highest-level decision-making forum, providing strategic direction to further strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.
There are a number of Joint Standing Committees (JSCs) under HLSCC, covering sectors like trade, investment, banking, finance, culture, tourism, energy, defence, agriculture, transport, communication, IT, health, science and technology and education. So far, six sessions of HLSCC have been held. The last one was held in Islamabad on February 13-14, 2020.
Saleh Zaafir adds: President Erdogan will be received by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at Nur Khan Airbase, who has invited the distinguished guest for the visit, highly placed sources in the Prime Minister House told The News/Jang.
The first lady Emine Erdogan will be accompanying him. Former prime minister and President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif will be meeting the Turkish President at the PM House.
The sources said that a formal joint declaration will be issued at the conclusion of the visit, with several important agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to be signed.
These agreements are likely to cover areas such as trade, defence, cultural exchanges, and investment initiatives. It is understood that the discussions here could cover the geopolitical landscape of the region and the enhancement of defence collaboration between the two nations.The sources said that in a rare gesture of esteem for the honoured guest Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fighter aircraft will offer salute to Turkish President before guard of honour to be presented at the Prime Minister House. President Asif Ali Zardari will host banquet at the Presidency and it would be his last engagement in Pakistan. The Turkish President, who is coming from Indonesian and Malaysian visit, would leave for Ankara upon completing his trip to Pakistan.