Islamabad: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will arrive in Pakistan tomorrow, February 12, for a two-day official visit, at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. This was confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement issued on Tuesday.
According to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan, President Erdogan will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including ministers, senior officials, and business leaders.
Pakistan-Turkey Strategic Cooperation Council Meeting
During the visit, on February 12 and 13, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Erdogan will jointly chair the 7th meeting of the Pakistan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC).
According to the Foreign Ministry:
- A joint communiqué and several important agreements/memorandums of understanding (MoUs) are expected to be signed at the conclusion of the meeting.
- Both leaders will address a joint press conference.
- President Erdogan will also hold bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari.
- The visit will also include a speech at the Pakistan-Turkey Business and Investment Forum to connect businesspeople and investors from both countries.
Pakistan-Turkey Relations and HLSCC’s Role
HLSCC is the highest-level decision-making forum between the two countries, providing a strategic direction to further strengthen bilateral relations. Several joint standing committees have been established under this forum to work on the following areas:
- Trade, investment, banking, finance
- Culture, tourism, energy, defense
- Agriculture, transport, communication, IT
- Health, science and technology, education
So far, six meetings of the HLSCC have been held, with the last meeting taking place in Islamabad in February 2020.
Pakistan and Turkey share historic, fraternal, and strong ties. The Foreign Ministry expressed hope that President Erdogan’s visit and the 7th HLSCC meeting will play a vital role in further promoting friendship, cooperation, and partnership between the two countries.
