PM Shehbaz lands in Turkiye for two-day visit

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reached Turkiye for a two-day visit following an invitation from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkiye's Defence Minister Yashar Guler received the PM Shehbaz at the airport.

In a press release, the PM Office revealed that a high-level delegation has also accompanied the premier for the visit which aims to strengthen bilateral relations.

The delegation includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed Ishaq Dar, Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi.

In the upcoming discussions with President Erdogan, the premier is expected to explore various aspects of their partnership while also exchanging insights on recent regional and global developments.

"As long-standing allies and strategic partners, Pakistan and Turkiye maintain a tradition of regular high-level exchanges, reflecting the exceptional bonds of brotherhood between the two nation," the statement said.

"The upcoming meeting represents a continuation of this robust dialogue and underscores the shared commitment to further elevate the multifaceted partnership between Pakistan and Turkiye," it added.

This trip follows President Erdogan's visit to Islamabad in February during which he co-chaired the 7th session of the High Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) for cooperation and coordination on various issues of mutual interest.

During the session, the two nations signed 24 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and reaffirmed their commitment to boost bilateral trade to $5 billion.

Key agreements included expanding the Trade in Goods Agreement (TGA), enhancing defence cooperation, and facilitating Turkish investments in Pakistan.

Both leaders had also pledged to operationalise the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul trade corridor and strengthen collaboration in energy, finance, and digital trade.

"We have agreed with Prime Minister Sharif to continue our efforts to reach the $5 billion trade volume target between Turkiye and Pakistan," Erdogan said. "To this end, we are expanding the scope of our current goods trade agreement as a first step."

Bilateral trade between Turkiye and Pakistan reached a record high of $1.4 billion in 2024, rising nearly 30% from the previous year.

Both leaders expressed optimism about building on this momentum, with Erdogan urging Turkish investors to engage more actively in Pakistan’s growing market.