ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif left for Ankara on Wednesday morning to attend the 8th Pakistan-Afghanistan-Turkey trilateral summit, an important platform for high-level dialogue‚ security cooperation and economic development partnership among the three states.
A high-level delegation accompanied the prime minister in his visit to Turkey’s capital to take part in the summit which is being held from February 12 to 14.
The theme of the 8th Trilateral Summit is “Sustainable Peace in the Heart of Asia”, while it 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 forces by the end of 2014.
The Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said that the prime minister 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 stabilisation in Afghanistan in concert with international partners,” the spokesperson said.
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, she said.
During the summit, the prime minister is set to have extensive interaction with Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as well as Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai.
Separately, the premier will meet President Gul and Prime Minister Erdogan to review the wide spectrum of bilateral relations with focus on economic cooperation.
The prime minister will also meet with the heads of major Turkish companies in Istanbul, said the spokesperson.
