ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said Pakistan and Türkiye are entering a “new and exciting chapter” in their economic partnership following high-level talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Istanbul. In a statement posted on X, the prime minister described his meeting with President Erdoğan in the historic Turkish city as a source of great pleasure. He said the two leaders reviewed the full spectrum of the Pakistan-Türkiye Strategic Partnership. According to Shehbaz Sharif, their discussions focused on expanding cooperation in trade, investment, defence, energy, connectivity, technology, regional peace and people-to-people exchanges. The prime minister said both countries reaffirmed their belief that dialogue, diplomacy and mutual respect remain the only sustainable way to resolve disputes and preserve international peace and security. He thanked President Erdoğan for his hospitality and said both sides agreed to fully utilise the potential of their partnership to achieve the shared target of $5 billion in bilateral trade while further strengthening the longstanding ties between the two countries. Earlier, Shehbaz Sharif attended the Pakistan-Türkiye Business Conference, where he met representatives of Türkiye’s business community. He said their optimism, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit reinforced his confidence that economic cooperation between the two countries would continue to grow under President Erdoğan’s leadership. Speaking at the Pakistan-Türkiye Business-to-Business (B2B) Conference and later during a joint press conference, the prime minister also said President Erdoğan had helped Pakistan secure a mediation role in efforts aimed at ending the conflict between the United States and Iran. He described the diplomatic initiative as one of Pakistan’s most challenging assignments. Shehbaz Sharif also stressed the need to transform the strong political relationship between Pakistan and Türkiye into broader economic, trade and investment cooperation. The prime minister is on an official visit to Türkiye aimed at strengthening bilateral trade, investment and regional cooperation. Post navigation PM Shehbaz invites Turkish firms to expand business in Pakistan
