Summary Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu would be accompanied by a high- level delegation.
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu would be visiting Pakistan on 17-18 February 2015, the Foreign Office confirmed on Monday.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu would be accompanied by a high- level delegation, including several Cabinet Ministers and senior government officials. A representative delegation of Turkey’s top businessmen would also accompany him.
This would be Prime Minister Davutoglu s first visit to Pakistan since assuming the present office in August 2014. Earlier, he has visited Pakistan in his capacity as Foreign Minister.
During the visit, the 4th meeting of the Pakistan-Turkey High Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) would be held. Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu would co-chair the HLSCC session. Respective Ministers from both sides would attend the session.
The High Level Cooperation Council (HLCC) was established at the Prime Ministerial level in October 2009. It has had three sessions so far: in Ankara in December 2010; Islamabad in May 2012; and Ankara in September 2013. At the 3rd session in 2013, the Council was renamed as “High Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC)” to reflect the strategic nature of the relationship.
The HLSCC meeting would be preceded by the meetings of Joint Working Groups (JBGs) in 6 key areas -- Finance and Banking; Trade; Energy; Transport and Communications; Education; and Culture and Tourism. Prior to HLSCC, the relevant Ministers would also have bilateral interactions and present outcomes of their deliberations at the HLSCC meeting.
Besides the HLSCC, the visit programme for the Turkish Prime Minister envisages tete-a-tete between the two Prime Ministers, a luncheon hosted by Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, and a joint press stakeout. A number of MoUs/agreements are expected to be signed on the occasion. The two Prime Ministers would also attend the Pakistan-Turkey Business Forum 2015.
Prime Minister Davutoglu would call on President Mamnoon Hussain, who would also host a dinner in honour of the visiting dignitary and the accompanying delegation. The Turkish Prime Minister would also attend events related to the academia, culture and the media.
"Pakistan and Turkey enjoy a special relationship -- marked by exceptional cordiality and deep mutual trust and understanding. The two countries have common perceptions on regional and international issues and work closely at regional and multilateral fora," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a press release.
The ministry further said: "Bilateral relations with Turkey have seen tremendous growth and dynamism in recent years. Consistent efforts are underway to give a central thrust to the trade, economic and investment dimensions of the relationship. There has been significant progress in diverse fields, including with the support of the Turkish private sector. These include: low cost housing, energy, municipal services including waste management, public transport, infrastructure development, vocational and skills development both for urban and rural areas as well as important social sectors like health and education.
"The visit of Prime Minister Ahmet Davutogluwould take this process forward, contributing to the peace and prosperity of the two countries and advancing the shared goals of peace, stability and development in the region."
