Pakistan, Turkiye sign multiple pacts to further boost bilateral cooperation

• PM Shehbaz, Turkish President Erdogan witness exchanges of accords.
• Erdogan reaffirms full support for Pakistan in battle against terrorism.
• Discussed trade matters with President Zardari, says Turkish president.

ISLAMABAD: Aiming to further bolster cooperation between the two brotherly nations, Pakistan and Turkiye on Thursday signed several memorandums of understanding (MoUs), protocols, and cooperation agreements across various sectors to further strengthen bilateral ties.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — who is on a two-day visit to Pakistan — witnessed exchanges of the accords between the two sides.

Addressing a joint press conference after the signing of the agreements, PM Shehbaz extended a warm welcome to Turkish President Erdogan upon his arrival in Pakistan.

He expressed hope that the visit would prove to be highly beneficial. The prime minister highlighted the longstanding fraternal ties between Pakistan and Turkiye, emphasising that relations between the two nations span centuries.

Shehbaz praised President Erdogan for winning the hearts of the Pakistani people through Turkiye’s support during the devastating floods. He recalled how the Turkish president personally visited the flood-affected areas during Pakistan’s time of crisis and provided generous assistance.

The prime minister noted that the enduring partnership between the two countries continues to grow stronger, with bilateral relations reaching new heights.

Speaking on international matters, PM Shehbaz acknowledged Türkiye’s consistent support for Pakistan’s position on the Kashmir issue. He assured that Pakistan, in turn, would continue to support Turkiye’s stance on Cyprus. 

Additionally, he highlighted the ongoing efforts of Pakistan’s security forces in combating terrorism and raised concerns over terrorists using Afghan soil for their activities.

For his part, Turkish President Erdogan expressed his pleasure at visiting Pakistan. He referred to Pakistan as a second home and described Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Iqbal as heroes for both nations.

He said that both countries have agreed to further strengthen mutual ties and announced agreements on 24 MoUs.

President Erdogan shared that he had discussed trade matters with President Asif Ali Zardari and that Turkiye is actively encouraging its investors to explore opportunities in Pakistan. 

He revealed that discussions had taken place regarding a $5 billion trade volume between the two nations and cooperation in the defence and defence production sectors.

The Turkish president also acknowledged Prime Minister Shehbaz's visit to Turkiye’s earthquake-affected areas, further solidifying the bond between the two countries.

He praised Pakistan’s sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and extended condolences to the families of those martyred in terror incidents.

He reaffirmed Turkiye’s full support for Pakistan in its battle against terrorism and pledged continued efforts to further strengthen bilateral relations.

Erdogan also highlighted the role of Turkiye’s Maarif Foundation schools in Pakistan’s education sector and reiterated his country’s backing for Pakistan’s efforts to resolve the Kashmir dispute.

He acknowledged Pakistan’s support on the Cyprus issue, considering it highly significant for Turkiye.

Agreements signed

On the occasion, PM Shehbaz Sharif and President Erdogan also signed the joint declaration of the 7th meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) to further deepen the 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 the Export Credit Bank of Turkiye and the Export-Import Bank of Pakistan.

Minister of Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and Turkish Minister for Trade Omer Bolat exchanged documents of the joint ministerial statement on cooperation of the verification of origin certificates used in trade, and an MoU on digitalisation 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 and Turkish Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacir.

In the defence sector, an MoU on the 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 Asif and his Turkish counterpart also exchanged the signed documents of the 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 the defence ministers.

Another MoU between Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and the Naval Research and Development Institute (NRDI) of Pakistan was exchanged.

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 Siddiqui and Turkish Minister of Industries and Technology Kacir also exchanged signed copies of an MoU on the Establishment of Legal Metrology Infrastructure.

Additionally, in the National Food Security and Research sector, the two sides signed a 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 the energy sector, the two sides signed the 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 a cooperation agreement in the field of water. The documents were exchanged between the Minister for National Food Security and Research Hussain, and the Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry 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, and cooperation in the field of media and communications.

Meanwhile, the two sides signed a MoU on 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 Siddiqui and Minister of Industry and Technology Kacir also exchanged documents of an MoU between the scientific and technological research council Türkiye & National Textile University (NTU), Faisalabad, for Technical Assistance and development of Pakistan-Türkiye Textile Technology Centre.

Hussain and Fidan exchanged documents of MoU on technical cooperation in the field of health and pharmaceuticals.

Likewise, Finance Minister Aurangzeb and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan exchanged the signed documents of the MoU in the field of technical cooperation between the Central Bank of Turkiye (CBRT) and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

Tarar and Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan exchanged two documents of agreement on cultural cooperation, and agreement on co-production in audio-visual services.

In addition to the exchange of the documents, two MoUs have also been signed at the Pakistan-Turkiye Business Forum.