Turkish FM to begin three-day visit to Pakistan today

Cavusoglu will hold bilateral talks with Qureshi; call on president, PM

ISLAMABAD:

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will pay a three-day official visit to Pakistan from Tuesday for bilateral talks with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi besides meetings with President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Foreign Office announced on Monday.

Cavusoglu would be accompanied by a high-level delegation during the January 12-14 visit. The Foreign Office said in a statement that the two foreign ministers would review the entire gamut of bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international issues.

“Foreign Minister Cavusoglu’s visit to Pakistan is part of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries,” the Foreign Office statement read. “This will be his third visit during the last two and half years,” it added.

The Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement in Ankara that “bilateral relations will be reviewed and regional and global issues will be discussed” during Cavusoglu’s visit. “Preparations of the Seventh Turkey-Pakistan High Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting will also be coordinated,” it noted.

Ankara said that Cavusoglu would attend "the Second Trilateral Meeting of Turkey-Pakistan-Azerbaijan Foreign Ministers" while he “will officially inaugurate the new compound of Turkey's Consulate General in Karachi, as part of his visit”

The Foreign Office said that the relations between Pakistan and Turkey were deeply embedded in common faith, culture and history and underpinned by exceptional mutual trust and respect. “The forthcoming visit of the Turkish Foreign Minister will help … enhance cooperation in multiple areas.”

The Pakistan-Turkey relations have been institutionalised under the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), which is the top decision-making forum, providing strategic direction to boost the partnership.

Co-chaired by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Imran Khan, the 6th Session of the HLSCC was held in Islamabad in February 2020. The Strategic Economic Framework (SEF), signed at the HLSCC session, had 71 action points for enhancing bilateral cooperation in diverse fields.

Pakistan and Turkey enjoyed close collaboration on issues of mutual interest at multilateral fora such as the UN, OIC and ECO. Turkey is an important member of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir and has been consistently supporting the cause of self-determination of the Kashmiri people.

(With input from Anadolu Agency)