Ashgabat: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Republic of Trkiye, on the sidelines of the International Forum marking the International Year of Peace and Trust. The leaders reaffirmed the historic fraternal ties between Pakistan and Trkiye and expressed commitment to strengthen cooperation across political, energy, economic, defence, and investment sectors.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister highlighted the convening of the 16th session of the Pak-Turkiye Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) to ensure implementation of the 7th High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) decisions. Both sides emphasized energy, petroleum, and mineral sectors as priority areas, with Pakistan seeking Turkish expertise in privatization of distribution companies. Ministerial-level exchanges were agreed upon to expedite MOUs and agreements.

The leaders also discussed regional connectivity, including the revival of the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul rail network, and shared views on global developments. PM Shehbaz Sharif appreciated President Erdogan's role in peace efforts in Gaza and in facilitating talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime, while stressing that peace requires full attention to Pakistan's security concerns. President Erdogan expressed his desire to further strengthen ties and cooperation between the two countries.