Pakistan's PM to visit Turkey Tuesday

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is to pay a three-day official visit to Turkey Tuesday at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Edrogan. This is the second official foreign visit by Sharif since taking office. According to the itinerary provided by the prime minister’s office, Nawaz will meet Turkish president Abdullah Gul and his Turkish peer Recep Tayyip Edrogan. The two premiers will also co-chair the third meeting of the High Level Cooperation Council (HLCC) in Ankara. The HLCC provides a unique platform to give a long-term strategic direction to bilateral relations between the two countries. Nawaz Sharif vowed to put a mechanism in place to boost trade and economic ties between Pakistan and Turkey during his three-day visit to Turkey. "This visit is aimed at putting in place institutional mechanisms, which will provide a strong platform for further cementing economic ties," he said according to an official press release issued here today. Several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) covering the areas such as housing, education, culture, and trade are likely to be signed by both sides during the visit. Nawaz called upon Turkish business-people and entrepreneurs to invest in Pakistan, especially in sectors like energy, infrastructure, engineering and the agro-based industry. He also emphasised Turkey's role as a bridge between Asia and Europe and Pakistan’s potential to become a gateway to energy-rich Central Asia. His visit primarily coincides with the meeting of the Third High Level Cooperation Council where his cabinet colleagues and senior officials would interact with their Turkish counterparts. Turkey's mediation in trilateral talks aimed at peace between Afghanistan and Pakistan was described by Nawaz Sharif as an important initiative aimed at promoting peace, stability and socioeconomic development in Afghanistan. He said that "the menace of terrorism" in the region was the outcome of wrong policies in the past adding that their challenge is to root out this menace and Pakistan needs the cooperation and support of the international community and their neighbors for controlling fund, supply of arms and training to the terror networks. On the issue of the disputed region of Kashmir between Pakistan and India, the prime minister said that he hoped the "UN will play its due role in resolving this dispute. Recent tensions along the Line of Control (border region) are indeed a matter of concern for us. Pakistan will continue to respond to the situation with restraint and responsibility.