PM Shehbaz begins 2-day Turkey trip
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Turkey on Friday on a two-day visit at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The prime minister and his delegation were received by the deputy governor of Istanbul and other senior government officials at the Istanbul International Airport.
In a tweet after arrival, the prime minister said that bilateral ties between Pakistan and Turkey had entered a new era of strategic partnership under the leadership of President Erdogan.
“We are on course to unpack the full untapped potential of the relationship,” he said.
Shehbaz said being in Turkey he felt like being at home and added that he was overwhelmed by the warmth of the Turkish brothers and sisters.
During the visit, Prime Minister Shehbaz and President Erdogan will inaugurate the third of the four MILGEM corvette ships for the Pakistan Navy's PNS Khaibar at the Istanbul Shipyard.
The two leaders will also hold wide-ranging discussions encompassing bilateral relations, regional situation and other issues of common interest. The prime minister will interact with leaders of the Turkish business community. The president of the ECO Trade and Development Bank (ETDB) will also call on the prime minister during his stay in Istanbul.
Pakistan and Turkey enjoy fraternal ties deeply embedded in commonalities of faith, culture and history and underpinned by exceptional cordiality and mutual trust.
The MILGEM project, based on joint collaboration between the two countries, represents a significant milestone in the Pakistan-turkey strategic partnership that continues to progress on an upward trajectory.
The launching ceremony for the first corvette for the Pakistan Navy, PNS Babur, was performed in Istanbul in August 2021 while the groundbreaking for the second ship, PNS Badr, was held in Karachi in May 2022.
Frequent leadership level exchanges are a defining feature of the eternal bonds of Pakistanturkey friendship.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is determined to tap the enormous potential between Pakistan and Turkey, tirelessly worked for extensive interaction with Turkish authorities and potential investors to develop a comprehensive roadmap for bilateral engagement.”
Marriyum Aurangzeb
Pakistan Minister