ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Türkiye on Thursday signed 24 agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) during a visit to Islamabad by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to discuss how to boost trade and economic ties between the two nations.
The Turkish president arrived in Pakistan early on Thursday morning to co-chair the 7th session of the Pakistan-Türkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), a forum established in 2009 to enhance bilateral collaboration. The council oversees joint standing committees covering key sectors such as trade, investment, banking, finance, culture, tourism, energy, defense and agriculture. Since its inception, six sessions of the HLSCC have taken place, with the last one held in Islamabad in 2020.
“In the seventh session of our [strategic] council [meeting], which we have just concluded, we have agreed to further strengthen our relations,” the Turkish president said after witnessing the signing of multiple agreements with Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif.
President of Turkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) and Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, sign joint declaration of 7th meeting of Turkiye-Pakistan High Level Strategic Cooperation Council on February 13, 2025 in Islamabad, Pakistan. (PMO)
“Within the framework of this visit, we have signed a total of 24 agreements and MoUs in the fields of trade, water resources, agriculture, energy, culture, family and social services along with science, banking, education, defense and health.”
“We have reached an agreement with Prime Minister Sharif to reach a goal of $5 billion trade volume between Türkiye and Pakistan,” Erdoğan added. “To this end, we are expanding our current goods trade agreement in the first stage.”
Among the MoUs are four on defense, two MoUs and a protocol in the power, energy and mining sectors, three MoUs in promoting cooperation in the trade and industrial field, two agreements in water and seed production, two MoUs in scientific education and training, two MoUs in banking, one MoU on promoting bilateral cooperation in religious services and education, one MoU in Halal food, one MoU in media and public relations, one MoU in the legal sector, one MoU in health and pharmaceuticals, one MoU to promote cooperation in the aerospace industry and two agreements in the fields of cultural cooperation and co-production.
The two countries also exchanged two MoUs signed by the Pakistan-Turkiye Business Forum to enhance bilateral cooperation.
President of Turkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif witness exchange of MoUs and Agreements signed between Turkiye and Pakistan with regard to cooperation in different fields on February 13, 2025 in Islamabad, Pakistan. (PMO)
Erdogan said he had also held extensive discussions with the Pakistani prime minister on bilateral, regional and global issues.
The Turkish leader addressed the Pakistan-Türkiye Business and Investment Forum, speaking to leading investors, companies and business leaders from both nations. He urged them to strengthen cooperation in key economic sectors.
Pakistan, which has witnessed a surge in militant violence in recent months, has deployed additional police officers and paramilitary forces to ensure the security of the Turkish leader and his delegation.
The visit began hours after the US Embassy issued a travel advisory, citing a threat by Pakistani Taliban against the iconic Faisal mosque in Islamabad and asked its citizens to avoid visits to the mosque and nearby areas until further notice.
