- Hakan Fidan will review state of bilateral relations and assess preparations for upcoming high-level engagements between two countries
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister of Turkiye Hakan Fidan on Sunday arrived in Islamabad on a two-day official visit to Pakistan.
FM Fidan was received by Additional Foreign Secretary (Afghanistan & West Asia) Ambassador Ahmed Naseem Warraich.
During the visit, FM Fidan will meet Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and hold extensive discussions with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, a Foreign Office statement said.
The two sides will review the state of bilateral relations and assess preparations for upcoming high-level engagements between the two countries.
“Bilateral cooperation as well as international and regional situation will be discussed in the meetings. While, preparations for the 7th Pakistan-Turkey High Level Strategic Cooperation Council will also be reviewed,” the diplomatic sources informed.
PM Shehbaz, on April 19 last, had reiterated his government’s resolve to further strengthen economic relations and trade partnership with Turkiye.
The PM had stated this while speaking to a delegation of Turkish investors who called on him at the Prime Minister Office.
The Turkish investors, expressing confidence in the leadership of the prime minister, had taken keen interest in investing in Pakistan’s diverse areas.
The prime minister had said the people of Pakistan and Turkiye had a long-standing brotherly relationship spanning centuries.
He had said reforms had been made in the system to take full advantage of the potential of foreign investment in Pakistan.
Ambassador of Turkiye to Pakistan Mehmet Pacaci, CEO Terminal YAPI Cenk Coskun and other Turkish and Pakistani officials had participated in the meeting.
Federal ministers – Ishaq Dar, Kh Muhammad Asif and Ahad Khan Cheema, Prime Minister’s Coordinator Rana Ehsan Afzal and relevant senior officials had also attended the meeting.
Earlier in April, Turkish Chief of General Staff, Gen. Metin Gurak, was awarded with one of Pakistan’s highest military medals, an official statement said.
President Asif Ali Zardari conferred the Nishan-e-Imtiaz to Gurak at a special ceremony held at the President House in Islamabad, said the statement.
The award was conferred in recognition of Gurak’s illustrious services and contribution to strengthening Pakistan-Turkiye defence ties, it said.
“Turkiye is a sincere friend of Pakistan and both countries have enjoyed deep fraternal ties, which needed to be further strengthened for the mutual benefit of the two sides,” said President Zardari.
He called for enhancing road and railway connectivity between the two countries to further promote people-to-people contacts.
