Nawaz Turkey visit to result in substantial partnership: Turkish media
- September 15, 2013, 7:15 pm
- World News
- 149 Views
ANKARA, Sept 15 (Online): The Pakistani prime minister's visit to Turkey will probably result in substantial partnership in different sectors including energy, low-cost housing, infrastructure development and municipal services sectors, including public transport, reveals Turkish media here Sunday.
Turkey would like to further its cooperation with Pakistan on the economy, society, politics and trade. The success of recent projects begun by Turkish investors, such as the Metro Bus and Solid Waste Management projects in Lahore, wind energy in Sindh and numerous reconstruction and rehabilitation projects in earthquake and flood-affected areas in Pakistan, provide a solid foundation for the deepening of this cooperation in diverse fields, says Today’s Zaman in a report.
Newly elected Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is scheduled to visit Turkey at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Sept. 16-18 for talks aimed at enhancing the economic, political and social ties between the two countries.
Sharif will meet with President Abdullah Gül as well as with Prime Minister Erdogan. The two prime ministers will co-chair the third meeting of the High Level Cooperation Council (HLCC) in Ankara.
To further augment relations in all fields, especially the economic and commercial spheres, the two countries are likely to sign several agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoU).
Turkey is only the second country after China that Sharif has selected for his overseas official trip. In his Chinese visit, the countries signed agreements worth billions of dollars in the energy and infrastructure sectors.
In recognition of the close and brotherly relations between Pakistan and Turkey, Gül will confer the Order of the Republic (Cumhuriyet Nisani) upon Sharif at a special ceremony.
On Sept. 18, Sharif will travel to Istanbul, where he will address a large business forum. He will also have separate individual meetings with Turkish CEOs and investors. Furthermore, leading Pakistani businessmen are expected to attend the business forum to interact with their Turkish counterparts and explore mutually beneficial business opportunities.
Turkey and Pakistan have increased their mutual cooperation since the establishment of the HLCC in October 2009. The two countries finalized a currency swap agreement (CSA) in November 2011, allowing them to trade in their own currencies.
During the last annual meeting of the HLCC in May 2012, a Turkish delegation headed by Erdogan signed nine protocols and a joint declaration aiming to bring new dynamism to Turkish-Pakistani relations through increased collaboration in the fields of trade, energy, transportation and tourism.
In the May election, the people of Pakistan elected Sharif, who was deposed in a military coup in 1999, as prime minister, marking the first civilian transfer of power in a country that has undergone three military coups.
