Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Turkey share a bond of friendship which has roots in cultural, religion and social commonalities and relations between the two have witnessed unprecedented warmth during the recent years bringing people of both the countries closer.

These views were expressed by Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani during a meeting with Turkish Ambassador Ihsan Mustafa Yrudakul at the Parliament House on Tuesday.

The Senate chairman said that Turkey had become an attractive tourist destination for Pakistanis and there was a dire need to enhance mutual collaboration in different sectors including trade and investment.

He said that Pakistan offers a conducive environment for investment and Turkish investors must invest in Pakistan and explore new avenues of cooperation for mutual benefit.

He said that Turkey was an important country and Pakistan had always placed its historical relations with Turkey at high esteem. He said that both have supported each other’s point of view at international fora, however, there was need to further boost parliamentary linkages to build better regional rapport and make joint efforts for regional peace and stability.

The chairman emphasised that Pakistan wanted peace in the region as war was not a solution to the issues. “Lasting peace and security can make Asia prosper,” Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani observed. He said that there was huge potential for cooperation between the two countries.

He appreciated Turkish government’s support on the issue of Kashmir. He expressed his well wishes to the government, the parliament and the people of Turkey.

The Turkish envoy greeted the Senate chairman for assuming the charge of office. He agreed with the views of the Senate chairman and underscored the need for more enhanced cooperation between the two sides.

Published in Daily Times, April 11^th 2018.