Remarks of Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. M. Nawaz Sharif at joint press conference with Turkish Prime Minister at Ankara on 17 September 2013

Excellency Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan,

Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey,

Honourable Ministers,

Distinguished members of the Press,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Assalam-o-Alaikum!

It gives me great pleasure to be here in Ankara today to co-chair with my brother, Prime Minister Erdogan, the 3^rd meeting of the High Level Cooperation Council (HLCC) between our two countries. 

Pakistan and Turkey enjoy a special relationship bound by fraternal ties of religion, history and culture. 

As two functioning democracies, our perspectives are marked by a common outlook and shared objectives.

This visit, one of my first after assuming office of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, underscores the great importance that we, in Pakistan, place on our strategic relations with Turkey.

The decision to rename the process as High Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) aptly reflects this political reality.

We have just concluded a very productive 3^rd session of the Strategic Council.  Our discussions were marked by unanimity of views on all issues of mutual concern. A number of wide-ranging MoUs/agreements have also been finalized during the meeting.  

Earlier today, I was honored by the conferment of Jumhuriyet Nishan by President Abdullah Gul.    

In my discussions with both President Gul and Prime Minister Erdogan, we have pledged to intensify our cooperation in energy, trade, finance, transportation, infrastructure development, security, education and culture.

Consistent with our shared vision to strengthen connectivity between our two countries, we have decided to enhance the number of weekly flights between Pakistan and Turkey to 28. We would soon have a direct air-link between Lahore, the cultural capital of Pakistan and Istanbul, the cultural capital of Turkey.

Likewise, our financial, cultural and educational linkages would also be strengthened.

I am confident that we would be able to carry forward the positive momentum generated by this meeting into a comprehensive framework of cooperation between the two countries. 

We are meeting at a time when there is strife and instability in our wider region. As two strong democracies, Pakistan and Turkey need to redouble their efforts to promote peace and stability in the region.

I look forward to welcome Prime Minister Erdogan for the next session of High Level Strategic Cooperation Council in Pakistan in the near future.

Thank You.