Pakistan vows to strengthen bilateral ties with Turkey

Senior Turkish diplomat Sedat Önal during his official visit to Pakistan met with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday and discussed matters of mutual interest including the Afghanistan crisis and Kashmir dispute.

Önal, who is Turkey’s deputy foreign minister, called on Qureshi at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad, according to an official statement.

FM Qureshi reiterated his commitment to further strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries in all areas of mutual interest.

The foreign minister said the forthcoming 7th meeting of the High Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) will further strengthen the strategic partnership between Islamabad and Ankara.

Qureshi also appreciated Turkey's continuous and unwavering support to the Kashmir cause. “The Kashmiri people value the support of the Turkish leadership,” the FM was quoted as saying.

He also commended the close coordination between the two countries on the evolving situation in Afghanistan.

The foreign minister also thanked his Turkish counterpart for attending the extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers, held in Islamabad on December 19 last year.

Bilateral Political Consultations

Meanwhile, the Bilateral Political Consultations between Pakistan and Turkey were also held at the Foreign Office today. The Pakistan side was led by Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood while the Turkish delegation was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Önal.

Extending a warm welcome to Deputy Foreign Minister Önal, the foreign secretary noted that the long-standing fraternal relations between Pakistan and Turkey were exemplary, marked by mutual trust, commonality of views, and close cooperation on the whole range of bilateral, regional and international issues.

During the consultations, both sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations as well as opportunities to further strengthen cooperation in diverse areas including trade, investments and economic cooperation.

In the context of Pakistan’s focus on geo-economics, the foreign secretary emphasised the central pillars of peace, development partnerships, and connectivity.

The two sides exchanged views on the ongoing preparations for the 7th Session of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) and the implementation of the Strategic Economic Framework (SEF), signed between the two countries in February 2020.

It was noted with satisfaction that the Joint Working Groups (JWGs) under the HLSCC held their meetings in preparation for the HLSCC.

Views were also exchanged on regional issues, with a particular focus on the situation in Afghanistan.

The foreign secretary emphasised the urgent need for scaled-up humanitarian assistance and measures for stabilisation of Afghanistan’s economy, adding that release of its frozen assets would provide impetus to long-term sustainable development for the Afghan people.

The foreign secretary reaffirmed that Pakistan would continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, underlining that sustained practical engagement with Afghanistan was key to advance the shared objectives of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.

The foreign secretary also briefed the Turkish side on the continuing grave human rights violations in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and thanked Turkey for its consistent and principled support on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

The two sides expressed satisfaction on close cooperation at the multilateral fora, including the UN, OIC, ECO and D-8 and reaffirmed their resolve to continue collaboration on global and regional issues of mutual interest.

Pakistan and Turkey will be marking the 75th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations this year. In view of close fraternal ties between the two countries, it was agreed to celebrate this important milestone in a befitting manner.

The next round of Bilateral Political Consultations will be held in Turkey on dates to be determined through the diplomatic channels.