ASHGABAT: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday said Pakistan desired to have enhanced bilateral trade and communication links with Turkmenistan.
“Pakistan and Turkmenistan possess rich experience in agriculture, agro-based industry including wheat, rice, textile and food processing. Hence both our countries can mutually benefit from each other’s expertise in these areas,” the Prime Minister said while speaking at a banquet hosted in his honour by the President of Turkmenistan.
He said Pakistan and Turkmenistan were located at important geo-strategic locations and were blessed with enormously diversified natural resources, technological base, skilled manpower and reasonable infrastructure.
The Prime Minister said Turkmenistan was endowed with huge hydrocarbon resources, which could assist Pakistan in meeting its energy requirements, adding, “We are keen on the early implementation of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project.”
He appreciated the efforts being made by the Government of Turkmenistan towards promoting this vital regional energy trade project.
The Prime Minister said since peace and stability had paramount importance for realization of vital regional trade, transit, and energy export projects, Pakistan supports all those measures and initiatives, which bring enduring peace and security to the region.
Nawaz Sharif recalled the historic visit of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to Pakistan in 2011, which paved the way for promoting cooperation between the two brotherly countries.
“Such high-level visits are of great value in strengthening our friendship and cooperation,” he added.
The Prime Minister said Turkmenistan and Pakistan share common cultural and religious values which are deep-rooted in history.
He said Pakistan greatly admires its brotherly relations with Turkmenistan, adding, these bonds of friendship facilitate cooperation in economy, trade, energy, communications and infrastructure.
