Ashgabat: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed his firm resolve to further strengthen bilateral cooperation with Turkiye in all areas of mutual interest, including political, energy, economic, defence, and investment. He made the remarks during his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ashgabat on the sidelines of the International Forum dedicated to the International Year of Peace and Trust.

According to Radio Pakistan, the Prime Minister identified energy, petroleum, and minerals as priority sectors and welcomed Turkish interest and investments in these areas. He urged both sides to ensure the timely implementation of the recently signed MOUs and agreements in these critical sectors. Shehbaz Sharif highlighted Pakistan’s desire to benefit from Turkish expertise in the privatization of distribution companies, with plans for Ministerial level exchanges between the two countries to take place soon.

The Prime Minister underscored the importance of regional connectivity, as demonstrated by the revival of the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul rail network. Both leaders also exchanged views on regional and global developments. Shehbaz Sharif praised President Erdogan’s leadership and commitment to peace efforts in Gaza and thanked Turkiye for its role in facilitating talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime. However, he emphasized that peace would only be possible if Pakistan’s security concerns were fully addressed.

The Turkish President expressed his desire to work together to build stronger ties between the two countries.