Strategic cooperation between Türkiye and Pakistan set to deepen with new bilateral deals

On the final leg of his three-nation Asia tour, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan arrived in Pakistan and was officially welcomed in Islamabad by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Türkiye and Pakistan maintain close ties, with Pakistan being one of Ankara's significant partners in the region.

At a joint press conference with Sharif, Erdoğan expressed his pleasure at visiting a country “bonded with Türkiye on the principle of brotherhood”, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

He reflected on the historical bond, stating, "The support of Muslims here to us during the War of Independence and Çanakkale battles are most striking examples of our exceptional relations," referring to World War I battles and Türkiye's subsequent struggle for independence.

Before the press conference, Erdoğan and Sharif attended the seventh meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council between Türkiye and Pakistan. The meeting culminated in a joint declaration to deepen and diversify the strategic partnership, as well as the signing of 24 cooperation agreements in various sectors.

These agreements included exchanges of military and civilian personnel for social and cultural purposes, collaboration on electronic warfare between the air forces of both countries and training cooperation for military healthcare.

In the energy sector, Türkiye and Pakistan signed an agreement to amend their cooperation on hydrocarbons, as well as a deal on energy transformation and mining. Additionally, both nations signed a declaration and memorandum of understanding regarding commodity trade and the digitalization of commerce-related paperwork.

Other agreements covered cooperation in water resources, seed exchange, the establishment of infrastructure for metrology, and the advancement of textile technologies education. Two banks specializing in exports and imports between the two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding. Other memoranda addressed cooperation on industrial property, religious education, halal commerce, collaboration between central banks, and cooperation in public affairs, communications, media, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals.

Among the defence-related deals, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and Pakistan’s Naval Research and Development Institute (NRDI). Additionally, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the defence industry.

By Tamilla Hasanova