Turkish foreign minister to arrive in Pakistan today

ISLAMABAD/ANKARA: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will arrive in Islamabad today on a three-day visit, Radio Pakistan reported.

According to a Foreign Office statement, Cavusoglu, who will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, will hold talks with Prime Minister Imran Khan, President Dr Arif Alvi, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and other dignitaries.

The visit to Pakistan is part of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries. This will be his third visit since August 2018 when the government of Prime Minister Imran assumed power.

“Fraternal relations between Pakistan and Turkey are deeply embedded in common faith, culture and history and underpinned by exceptional mutual trust and respect,” the FO statement said.

“Pakistan-Turkey bilateral relations have been institutionalized under the High Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), which is the highest level decision-making forum, providing strategic direction to further boost the partnership.”

Co-chaired by Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Imran, the 6th Session of the HLSCC was held in Islamabad in February 2020. The Strategic Economic Framework (SEF), signed at the session, has “71 action points for deeper cooperation between the two countries in diverse fields.”

As part of his visit, Cavusoglu will officially inaugurate the new compound of Turkish Consulate General in Karachi, Daily Sabah reported.

TRILATERAL MEETING WITH AZERBAIJAN, TURKEY:

Meanwhile, a second trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Turkey and Azerbaijan will be held in Islamabad on January 13, 14, it emerged Tuesday.

Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov is due in Islamabad for a two-day visit on the said dates, according to the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).

The foreign ministers will discuss various issues including “new and emerging threats to regional peace and security”, challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change. The three sides will also discuss measures that should be taken to achieve development targets.

The countries will also discuss matters of mutual interest, including peace and security, trade and investment, science and technology, education and cultural cooperation, the Foreign Office (FO) press release stated.

This will be the first bilateral visit from Azerbaijan at foreign minister level since 2010, the press release stated.

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