Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed 24 cooperation agreements across several sectors on Thursday, following the seventh meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council in Islamabad.
The meeting followed a one-on-one talk between the two leaders in the prime minister’s office.
The signing of a joint declaration titled “Deepening, Diversifying, and Institutionalising the Strategic Partnership,” which expresses a renewed commitment to strengthening relations between Turkey and Pakistan, was the high point of the discussions.
This proclamation serves as the basis for 24 detailed cooperation agreements in defense, energy, trade, agriculture, technology, and a variety of other areas.
Key defense agreements include the Protocol on the Exchange of Military and Civilian Personnel for Social and Cultural Purposes, Memorandum of Understanding on Air Force Electronic Warfare Cooperation, and the Protocol on Training and Cooperation in Military Health.
These agreements were signed by Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler and Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja M. Asif.
In the energy sector, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and Pakistani Energy Minister Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari signed three significant documents: the Protocol on the Amendment of the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Hydrocarbons, Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Energy Transition, and Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Mining.
Trade relations were strengthened through a joint declaration on the Development of the Goods Trade Agreement and the Memorandum of Understanding on the Digitalization of the Approval of Certificates of Origin, signed by Trade Minister Omer Bolat and Pakistani Trade Minister Jam Kamal Khan.
In addition, a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Industrial Property was also signed by Minister Bolat and Khan.
Agricultural collaboration was furthered with the signing of the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Water and the Agreement on Cooperation in Seed Production, which was signed by Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli and Pakistan’s National Food Security and Research Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain.
On the technology front, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir and Pakistani Science and Technology Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui signed two key agreements: the Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of Legal Metrology Infrastructure and an agreement between TÜBİTAK and Pakistan National Textile University for the Development of the Pakistan-Türkiye Textile Technology Centre.
Financial cooperation was advanced with a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye and the State Bank of Pakistan, signed by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.
Cultural ties were also reinforced, with Turkish Communications Director Fahrettin Altun and Pakistan’s Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ataullah Tarar signing two key agreements: the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Public Relations and Communication and the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Media and Communication.
Additionally, Fidan and Tarar signed a Joint Production Agreement on Audiovisual Services and a Cultural Cooperation Agreement.
Minister Fidan and Minister Hussain also signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Fields of Health and Pharmacy.
On defense industry cooperation, President of the Turkish Presidency of Defense Industries Haluk Gorgun and Pakistan’s Minister of Defense Production Khawaja Asif signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Presidency of Defense Industries and the Ministry of Defense Production of Pakistan.
