News
Prime Minister leaves for Turkey
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has left for Turkey to attend the 8th trilateral summit, being held in Ankara.
Foreign Office Spokesperson giving the details said the trilateral summit will be attended by the leaders of Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Prime Minister is accompanied by a high-level delegation.
The Turkey-Afghanistan-Pakistan Trilateral process was launched in 2007 and the last summit was held in December 2012 in Ankara. It is an important platform for high-level dialogue, security cooperation, and economic development partnership on the issue of Afghanistan.
The theme of the 8th Trilateral Summit is "Sustainable Peace in the Heart of Asia".
The Summit is taking place in the backdrop of important political and security transitions in Afghanistan, including Presidential and Provincial Council elections being held on April 5 this year and the draw-down of NATO/ISAF forces by 31 December 2014.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has articulated a forward-looking vision of a peaceful and prosperous neighbourhood, defined by close, cooperative relations with all neighbours, including Afghanistan.
His participation in the Ankara Summit is part of the efforts to help strengthen the process of stabilization in Afghanistan in concert with international partners.
Pakistan has extended consistent support for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan and remains committed to working with Afghanistan as well as the international community for sustainable peace, stability and development in Afghanistan.
The Ankara Trilateral Summit would carry forward the process of constructive engagement and leadership exchanges on the evolving situation as well as matters of common interest.
During the Summit, the Prime Minister would have extensive interaction with Turkey's President Mr. Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan as well as Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai.
The senior members of the Prime Minister's delegation would have meetings with their respective counterparts in trilateral formats.
Separately, the Prime Minister will meet the President of Turkey and the Prime Minister to review wide spectrum of bilateral relations with focus on economic cooperation.
In Istanbul, he will be having meetings with the Chairman/CEO of major Turkish companies.
Courtesy www.geo.tv
