President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a one-on-one meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Presidential Complex on Wednesday, as the two leaders vowed to further improve ties between their two countries, eyeing reaching $5 billion in trade volume.
Paying a 3-day official visit to Türkiye at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Sharif pointed out that businesspeople from both countries are determined to increase trade and investments.
President Erdoğan and Prime Minister Sharif later held a joint press conference after the signing ceremony of bilateral agreements.
Beginning his speech by welcoming the Pakistan delegation, President Erdoğan pointed out that this marks Sharif’s first visit to Türkiye after he assumed the post of Prime Minister, and proceeded to congratulate him on his new position.
Underlining the fact that the roots of the bonds of friendship and brotherhood between Türkiye and Pakistan go a long way back in history, Erdoğan said ties between the two countries have been developing on the basis of friendship and brotherhood since the establishment of Pakistan as an independent state in 1947.
"We have never forgotten and will never forget the support given by the Muslims of South Asia during our War of Independence. We have never forgotten and will not forget the sacrifice of the Pakistani women who donated their dowry and jewelry to us during the years of the National Struggle,” he continued.
Recalling that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Türkiye and Pakistan, Erdoğan pointed that he discussed bilateral relations, regional and global issues comprehensively during his one-on-one and delegation meetings with Sharif.
Emphasizing both countries’ determination to increase and maintain solidarity both at the bilateral level and on international platforms, Erdoğan noted that the work is underway for the 7th meeting of the Türkiye-Pakistan High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council.
"We are ready to further strengthen Türkiye-Pakistan relations through a strategic perspective in line with the history, friendship and potential of the two countries. We are pleased with the concrete cooperation projects developed recently with Pakistan in the field of defense industries. Our joint corvette production within the scope of the MİLGEM Project represents an important example within this context. The construction phases of the ships, two of which were built in Pakistan and two in our country, are completed one by one within the framework of the determined calendar. We will deliver these 4 ships at 6-month intervals, starting from August 2023," the President continued.
Erdogan stated that the two countries were able to develop bilateral trade in spite of the pandemic and that trade volume has surpassed $1 billion for the first time since 2011.
"As you know, our target is 5 billion dollars. The Strategic and Economic Framework Document that we signed in Islamabad in February 2020 forms the basis of our close cooperation, which continues under many sub-titles from trade to defense industries. Especially in tourism, education, logistics, civil aviation, communication, and information technologies. We are working to improve our cooperation in the service sectors. I believe that Mr. Şerif's meetings with our business representatives today will contribute to increasing our mutual trade and investments."
Erdogan also pointed that Türkiye encourages business-people and investors, who are the locomotive of economic cooperation, to engage in more activities in Pakistan.
"I would like to thank the Pakistani authorities once again for the measures taken against FETO in Pakistan and for their support in our fight against this terrorist organization. On this occasion, I would like to take this opportunity to wish God's mercy upon the soldiers and our brothers who lost their lives in the recent increased terrorist attacks in Pakistan. I wish a speedy recovery to the injured Pakistani citizens. We support Pakistan in its fight against all forms of terrorism. I believe that Pakistan will definitely conclude its struggle against terrorism, the common enemy of humanity, with success.The permanent stabilization of Afghanistan is of critical importance in preventing threats such as terrorist activities and new irregular migration waves in the region. We are working together to help the Afghan people in order to alleviate the effects of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Türkiye sent 4 charity trains carrying more than 4,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. Our preparations for the departure of our 5th train are ongoing. We continue to support the resolution of the Kashmir issue, which is another key issue for regional stability and peace, in line with the legitimate expectations of our Kashmiri brothers and within the framework of United Nations resolutions."
Expressing that Türkiye and Pakistan are natural partners, Pakistani PM Sharif stated that the opportunities and challenges faced by both countries are the same.
Sharif stated that Pakistan has always strongly supported the cause of the TRNC people and supported their legitimate aspirations.
Underlining that Pakistan has always stood by Türkiye in its fight against terrorism, Sharif pointed out that "Türkiye's enemy is actually always Pakistan's enemy. We always say this. We have always been opposed to these threats (against Türkiye)."
Addressing bilateral relations between the two countries, Sharif went on to vow that the partnership between Türkiye and Pakistan is here to stay.
"Our partnership will always continue. We have worked together for decades. We continued to work for our common goals, a peaceful and stable Pakistan."
Stating that visiting Türkiye is like coming to his second home, Sharif said that the roots of the relations between Pakistan and Türkiye are based on a common cultural and religious heritage, and they will continue to be this way regardless of time and geography.
Referring to the relations between the two countries, Sharif said he considers relations with Türkiye as” sacred” and that they were “entrusted by ancestors. We will also entrust these ties to the next generations.”
Recalling that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Türkiye, Sharif stated that these ties will be taken to new levels within the scope of President Erdogan's dynamic and visionary leadership.
Prime Minister Sharif noted that they plan to hold the next meeting of the high-level strategic cooperation council between the two countries in September in the Pakistani capital Islamabad.
Noting that Türkiye has made great progress in areas such as electronic commerce, tourism, education, infrastructure and development, Sharif said that he would be very pleased to receive Türkiye's support, especially in hydroelectric production and renewable energy projects, and through investments by Turkish companies.
Referring to the cooperation between Ankara and Islamabad in the field of defense industries, Sharif said that he is looking forward to new projects in the defense industry from Türkiye.
Sharif also emphasized that the people of Pakistan are grateful to Erdogan for his support regarding the Kashmir issue.
"(Pakistanis) are grateful for Türkiye's continued support in the face of the worst human rights violations the people of Kashmir have faced in over 70 years. I thank Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his support in the face of the threat to regional peace and stability. And despite these threats in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir region, Pakistan will never cease to act on the path of peace. We always believe that peace in Southeast Asia will be achieved through the resolution of the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir conflict within the framework of United Nations resolutions and in line with the wishes of the Kashmiri people," continued Sharif.
Referring to the close friendship between Türkiye and Pakistan, Prime Minister Sharif pointed that the emotional ties between the two countries are ones that go far beyond just conventional, interstate relations and diplomatic courtesy.
“It is a relationship rooted in history. It is a bond that has a cultural basis and is in the fabric of our two communities, and this bond is deep in our hearts, a bond that will last forever. This unbreakable bond is such a unique one that connects us at all levels, our states, our governments, our institutions, our armed forces, and above all, our peoples. Such two countries that are so closely linked in today's world, there aren't many examples of that," added Sharif.
During the ceremony, 7 agreements were signed between the two countries.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also participated in the Türkiye-Pakistan Business Conference held by the Federation of Turkish Chambers and Exchanges, attended by Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Turkish Trade Minister Mehmet Muş, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Pakistani Federal Trade Minister Syed Navid Qamar, Pakistani Federal Information Minister Maryam Aurangzeb, and Pakistan's ambassador to Pakistan. Ankara Muhammad Siros Sajjad Gazi in addition to the head of the Turkish Federation of Chambers and Exchanges Rifat Hisarcioglu and a number of Turkish and Pakistani businessmen.
In his speech at the forum, he pointed out that Türkiye has made great progress in recent years under the leadership of Erdogan, who is a leader with practical experience and a future outlook. Adding that "Türkiye boasts the best contractors in the world, and has successful construction projects in various countries across the globe, especially in Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia".
In this context, Shahbaz stated that the current trade volume between Türkiye and Pakistan is in the range of $1.1 billion and that this volume is insufficient and does not reflect the extent of the brotherly relations that unite the two countries, adding that "the economic obstacles and barriers between the two countries must be removed, and the necessary steps must be taken to achieve that".
Shahbaz also stressed that he aims to bring the volume of trade between Türkiye and Pakistan to $5 billion within 3 years, and added, "We have all the capabilities necessary to achieve this goal."
Meanwhile, Shahbaz expressed his regret for the mistreatment of certain Turkish businessmen in Pakistan during an earlier stage, and he apologized to them by saying: "I feel sorry, and I can hardly find words to express the sincerity of my feelings about it.”
Sharif also noted that lessons and lessons have been learned from the mistakes committed in the past, before adding that "in this bilateral meeting, I assure you that we have avoided the mistakes committed in the past, and I invite Turkish businessmen to my country, as we have learned from our past mistakes, and I am not in the process of any political accusations. When you come to Pakistan, we will welcome you and roll out the red carpet and offer you Turkish coffee, and you will feel like you have come home.”
For his part, Turkish Minister of Trade, Mehmet Muş, stated that the volume of trade between Türkiye and Pakistan continues to grow, adding: “The volume of trade exchange between the two countries continued to grow in 2021 despite the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, as it increased by 22.5% compared to the previous years, with President Erdogan’s visits to Pakistan, a target was set to bring the trade volume to $5 billion. If we look at the data for the first four months of this year, we find that trade between the two countries has increased by about 7% compared to the previous four months. This information makes us happy, but it is below what is required.”
Muş also indicated that the trade agreement awaited by the labor sectors in Türkiye and Pakistan is nearing issuance, as economic talks are in full swing, and that the current goal is to bring the trade volume to $5 billion, expressing confidence that greater goals will be set at a later stage.
