ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Turkey have signed 12 agreements/Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) during the successful visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sahrif to the contiguous transcontinental country.
Foreign Office spokesman Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, while briefing the media about PM’s visit to Turkey from September 16-18, 2013, said that the premier discussed the issues of regional and international importance as well as of matters of mutual concern with the Turkish leadership.
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He said that PM Nawaz Sharif visited Turkey over PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s invitation to co-chair the third session of the High Level Co-operation Council (HLCC) meeting with his counterpart.
The HLCC was established during the PM Erdogan’s visit to Pakistan in October 2009 and the purpose of this council is to oversee and steer the unique partnership and intensify co-operation between the two countries. The first session of HLCC was held in December 2010 in Ankara while the second session took place in May 2012 in Islamabad.
The prime minister held meeting with Turkish President Abdullah Gul. The PM was also given Turkey’s highest civil award ‘Jumhuriyet Nishan’ by Gul. Both the leaders also signed joint declaration and stressed on implementation of the decisions taken in the meetings. To reflect existing bilateral strategic relations, the HLCC was re-named as the High Level Strategic Co-operation Council (HLSCC).
Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said the total 12 agreements and pacts signed between both the countries include: (i) Joint Declaration of the 3rd HLSCC [High Level Strategic Co-operation Council], (ii) MoU for co-operation and information exchange between the Under-secretariat of Treasury of Turkey and the SECP, (iii) MoU for co-operation in tax matters, (iv) MoU on strengthening co-operation in the field of education, (v) Renewal of cultural exchange programme, (vi) Agreement on the establishment, functioning and activities of cultural centres, (vii) Framework agreement between Ministry of Housing and Works and TOKI, (viii) MoU for co-operation in technical and vocational training, (ix) Co-operation protocol on security, (x) MoU on Civil Aviation, (xi) Agreement on the transfer of offenders, And (xii) Protocol on co-operation in Science and Technology between the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) and Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF).
