Key points
- Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is on an official visit to Islamabad
- Ishaq Dar calls for expanding collaboration in areas such as trade, investment and energy
- Expressed satisfaction with the work of dedicated joint standing committees
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan chaired a joint commission meeting to further bolster economic cooperation between the two countries.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday, the two leaders met in Islamabad during the latter’s visit to Pakistan.
“On the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, Hakan Fidan, co-chair of the Joint Commission under the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) framework, and the Minister of National Defence, Yasar Güler, co-chair of the Joint Ministerial Commission, are visiting Islamabad on Wednesday,” the official statement said.
Growing momentum
The deputy prime minister welcomed the visiting dignitaries and underscored the close and brotherly relations between Pakistan and Türkiye.
He appreciated the growing momentum in bilateral cooperation and stressed the importance of expanding collaboration in areas such as trade, investment, and energy.
“The Turkish Foreign Minister conveyed warm greetings from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and reaffirmed Türkiye’s strong desire to deepen cooperation with Pakistan. He highlighted the profound historical, cultural, and religious bonds that underpin the enduring relationship between the two nations,” the statement further read.
First joint commission meeting
It may be recalled that during the last session of the HLSCC, held in Islamabad in February this year, both sides had agreed to establish a joint commission, co-chaired by the two foreign ministers, to review the progress of the twelve joint standing committees working under the HLSCC framework.
Today marked the first meeting of this joint commission.
The deputy prime minister expressed satisfaction in sharing that all twelve Joint Standing Committees have either already met or are scheduled to meet in the coming weeks.
In addition, both sides noted the upcoming meeting of the Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC), which is expected to be held in the coming weeks.
Economic cooperation
The JMC will be co-chaired by the Minister of National Defence of Türkiye, Yaşar Güler, and the Minister of Commerce of Pakistan, Jam Kamal Khan. This important platform is expected to further bolster economic cooperation between the two countries.
The two sides also exchanged views on a range of regional and global developments. They reaffirmed their shared commitment to peace, security, and development in the region.
“This visit underscores the sustained dialogue between Pakistan and Türkiye and their mutual resolve to further deepen their multifaceted partnership,” the statement said.
