ANKARA: Pakistan and Turkey on Wednesday commemorated the 75th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations.
Sapling plantation ceremonies were held in foreign ministries of both countries to mark the event, according to official statements.
Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the tree plantation ceremony was held in the ministry was hosted by Deputy Foreign Minister Faruk Kaymakci in Ankara.
The ceremony was attended by Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkey Yousaf Junaid, officials from the Pakistan embassy, and Turkish diplomats.
Kaymakci, in his remarks, highlighted the two countries’ support for each other during “critical times,” as the relationship evolved from a strategic perspective.
He hoped that this special relationship would continue to grow from “strength to strength.”
Ambassador Junaid, for his part, recalled the relationship between the two nations, described as “two hearts one soul” by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was much older than 75 years.
He underscored the long tradition of mutual support on all core issues, which testified to the enviable amity existing between the two sides.
He expressed satisfaction with the existing “robust” institutional frameworks in place to move the relationship forward, citing economic and connectivity opportunities, as well as the recently signed Trade in Goods Agreement, as harbingers of a new future for this relationship.
The ceremony was followed by a meeting between the deputy foreign minister and Pakistan’s envoy.
The two sides took stock of Sharif’s recent “successful” visit to Istanbul and agreed to follow up on the decisions made during the tour, the statement added.
Meanwhile, a similar ceremony was held at the Foreign Office in Islamabad hosted by Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar.
Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan Mehmet Pacaci, and other senior embassy officials attended the event.
Addressing the ceremony, Khar noted that Ankara and Islamabad have similar positions on a variety of regional and global issues, and have always stood alongside one another in difficult times.
She highlighted Turkish companies’ recent investments in Pakistan in a variety of sectors, including infrastructure and health, with the hope that Islamabad will attract additional investments from Turkey in the future.
The two sides are committed to increasing bilateral trade volume to $5 billion over the next three years, she added.
Khar expressed gratitude to Ankara for its financial and technical assistance during the recent super floods that inundated a third of Pakistan, saying her countrymen have always been proud of their Turk brothers.
