Abdullah Gul's visit to Pakistan : In pictures and an article

[Omar1984]

Pakistan, Turkey to upgrade strategic partnership, jointly defeat terrorism​

ISLAMABAD, Mar 31 (APP): Pakistan and Turkey on Wednesday resolved to comprehensively upgrade their strategic partnership and intensify political and economic cooperation. At a joint stake out following the exclusive and delegation level talks here at the President House, President Asif Ali Zardari and his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul condemned extremism and terrorism and reiterated their resolve “to jointly defeat this menace” that continues to claim innocent lives.

President Gul, who is on a four-day state visit to Pakistan along with a large delegation of parliamentarians and businessmen, described the parleys as “excellent” and expressed their resolve to further strengthen ties in all areas.

President Zardari said during the talks the two sides expressed their commitment to boost relations in areas of economy, trade, investment, agriculture, infrastructure development, industry, culture, education, defence and people-to-people contacts.

Mentioning the huge potential to expand economic relations, President Zardari said “we have decided to pay special attention to re-energize our trade relations and are determined to fully exploit it for the mutual benefit of our peoples and meet the agreed targets.”

Turkish President Abdullah Gul when asked about enhancing trade potential reciprocated the views of President Zardari and said the two countries had already initiated a freight train service and would also improve the rail infrastructure to reduce time of travel.

He also mentioned cooperation in energy projects and said the business delegation accompanying him will discuss the matter with their Pakistani counterparts.

President Gul regretted that the depth of political relations was not reflected in the economic arena, but hoped that with more focus the two countries will not only achieve the target of US$ 2 billion by 2012, but can go to US$ 5 billion.

“In our discussion, we stressed on realizing economic potential that is not fully manifested. We need concrete projects between our countries,” he said.

Gul appreciated President Zardari’s idea of starting a freight carriageway between Pakistan and Turkey, and said it would boost the trade between the two countries.

He said Turkey attaches great importance to Pakistan and appreciated it for maintaining and strengthening democracy in the country besides fighting terrorism.

He congratulated the government and Pakistani nation on the successes achieved in this regard.

He said in his one-on-one meeting with President Zardari and also in delegation level talks, the two sides discussed regional stability and economic development.

President Zardari also recalled the launching of Pak-Turk CEO’s Forum during the visit of the Turkish Prime Minister to Pakistan last October and said the two countries will hold the Forum on the sidelines of leadership level visits as per the decision.

He mentioned the holding of second such forum of the CEO’s Forum in Islamabad this afternoon and in Lahore tomorrow.

“We are confident that the Forum will harness the potential of private sector entrepreneurship,” he said.

President Zardari also briefed President Gul on Pakistan’s comprehensive campaign against extremism and militancy and mentioned the remarkable success of the military operations in Swat, Malakand and South Waziristan.

“We were able to evolve consensus across the board to defeat terrorism and militancy,” he said.

He said the success was the result of national unity and immense sacrifices of the people and brave soldiers of Pakistan.

President Zardari said he and President Gul hold identical views on Afghanistan.

“We will continue to lend our sincere support to Afghanistan’s national efforts to achieve durable peace, prosperity and sustainable development,” he said.

He said Pakistan greatly values its strategic partnership with Turkey which is rooted in shared interests, common concerns and convergence of perceptions on regional and global issues.

“I am grateful to President Gul for his commitment to further strengthen our special relationship. I assure him of our steadfast support in achieving this objective,” he added.

Gul expressed gratitude for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to him and his delegation during their stay in Pakistan.

He said Turkey and Pakistan are two brotherly countries and hoped that the friendship between the two peoples would carry on to the future generations.

 

[Omar1984]

Pakistan’s public-private partnership model can bring depth to relations with Turkey ​

ISLAMABAD, Mar 31 (APP): President Asif Ali Zardari Wednesday said the public-private partnership model of development adopted by Pakistan could open new horizons of cooperation between Pakistan and Turkey and lend greater depth to the existing cordial ties by transforming them into a strategic partnership. President Zardari said this during his meeting with Turkish President Abdullah Gul at Aiwan-e-Sadr here.The one-on-one meeting between the two Presidents was followed by delegation level formal talks which were attended on the Pakistan side by Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi,Foreign Minister, Nazar Muhammad Gondal, Minister for Food and Agriculture, Rehman A. Malik, Interior Minister, Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, Minister for Railways, Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Finance Advisor, besides other senior officials.

On Turkish side Prof. Mehmet Aydin, Minister of State, Prof. Recep Akdag, Minister for Health, M. Mehdi Eker, Minister for Agri and Rural Affairs were present besides Turkish Ambassador Babar Hizlan, members of the Parliament and other senior officials.

Briefing the media about the meeting, Spokesperson to the President former Senator Farhatullah Babar said during the talks, President Zardari emphasized the need for upgrading communication links to further boost trade, commerce and people to people contacts.

He said the existing rail link needed to be upgraded so as to cut the travel time between the two countries.

President Zardari said the upgradation of existing rail link would open up and connect vast European and Asian markets to the benefit of not only Pakistan and Turkey but also of all people in the region.

He suggested that the train may be named after the Turkish President as ‘Gul Train’.

He said the proposed 6500 km Islamabad-Istanbul rail link would vastly improve regional connectivity. It may be mentioned that as per decision taken during ECO Ministerial meeting in Tehran in March last year, the demonstration run of the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul container train was launched on August 14 last year.

During President Zardari January visit to Istanbul, the Turkish railway authorities also gave a detailed briefing on the prospects of Islamabad-Istanbul container train.

Turkey also offered to assist Pakistan in upgrading its railway network to facilitate operationalization of the Islamabad-Istanbul container train.

Babar said that the two Presidents also witnessed the signing of three bilateral agreements between the two countries in the Presidency at the conclusion of the delegation level talks.

The bilateral agreements signed on Wednesday pertained to MoU for collaboration in the fields of agro-based industries, MoU between the Board of Investment of GOP and Republic of Turkey Prime Ministry Investment Support and Promotion Agency (ISPAT) and MoU on cooperation in planning between the governments of Pakistan and Turkey.

Memorandum of Understanding for collaboration in the fields of agro-based industries seeks to strengthen cooperation in the filed of agro-based industry on the basis of mutual benefit and to achieve higher levels of efficiency in production, processing and marketing of agro-based industry components.

The MoU also seeks to promote and encourage the private sectors to establish sole propriety enterprises as well as joint ventures including industrial units in the export processing zones outside urban areas, other agreed locations and in the rural areas at existing clusters in Pakistan and encourage investment in the areas such as fruit, food, vegetables and flower products processing units, dairy industries, poultry farming/production, cold storage industries and commercial production of seeds and nurseries for fruits, vegetables, flowers and tubers etc.

MoU between the Board of Investment of Pakistan and Turkish Investment Support and Promotion Agency (ISPAT) has been signed to strengthen collaboration between the two countries for enhancing and strengthening investment cooperation.

BOI and ISPAT agreed to collaborate in promotion of productive and commercial cooperation, support of enterprises in implementing common projects and transfer of know-how.

MoU on Planning seeks to strengthen mutual cooperation by means of exchange of information, research and planning studies and institutional capacity building. Both the countries through this MoU agreed to benefit, to the extent possible, from the expertise of each other in national and regional planning, strategic planning, economic models and activities, international and interregional cooperation, preparation and evaluation of the development plans and their annual programs, sustainable development and e-government.

 

[Omar1984]

 

[Omar1984]

 

[Omar1984]

 

[Omar1984]

Turkish president conferred Ph.D degree in Int’l Relations ​

ISLAMABAD, Mar 31 (APP): President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday conferred an honorary degree of Ph.D in International Relations on Turkish President Abdullah Gul, acknowledging his services and support for Pakistan.President Zardari, in his capacity as the Chancellor conferred the degree of country’s prestigious Quaid-e-Azam University at a special convocation ceremony held here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.A citation read out on the occasion termed Dr Abdullah Gul the “most eminent person” as considered by the university syndicate to receive the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in International Relations (Honoris Causa), by virtue of his “scholarship and distinction and for his deep love and support for Pakistan”.

Addressing a select gathering of parliamentarians and academicians, Turkish President Abdullah Gul said it was an honour for him to receive the degree from the institution bearing the name of the Father of the Nation.

He said Turkey and Pakistan enjoy brotherly relations with their ties deep rooted in history, and hoped that the two countries would remain strong and reliable partners for each others’ benefit.

He said the unique relationship is also built upon the ties that bind Maulana Rumi to Allama Muhammad Iqbal and to Mehmet Akif Ersoy, the author of Turkish national anthem.

The Turkish President said Pakistan has a great potential and bright future with a vibrant democracy and strong institutions in place.

Abdullah Gul said terrorism cannot be associated with any religion, ethnic group or geography and said terrorists had specific agenda with effective networks that needed to be targeted.

In this regard he said poverty, inequality, ignorance should be addressed to defeat this menace besides hitting at targeting terrorists’ financial resources including control over narcotics.

He said democratic Pakistan was strong enough to face all challenges and said Turkey will support Pakistan in its efforts to ensure peace in the region.
Abdullah Gul underscored the importance of strong economy for the stability of a country and stressed for normalizing relations with the neighboring countries to bring improvement in economic relations.

He said Istanbul Summit on Afghanistan and the upcoming Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan were promising greater regional cooperation in the heart of Asia.

He mentioned that there existed examples in the world that yesterday’s enemy nations became today’s friends for the sake of maintaining trade and economic ties for their own benefits.

He called for an improved trade and economic activity among Pakistan and its neighboring countries including India, Afghanistan and Iran and said he approved all the initiatives to make the region a peaceful place.

The Turkish President also noted the quality education offered by the Quaid-e-Azam university and hoped that its graduates would lead to a prosperous stable future of the country.

Being the eleventh President of Turkey, Dr Gul is a seasoned economist who holds an extensive experience of teaching international economics at university level. He started his parliamentary career in 1991 with Welfare Party and served four terms as member of the Grand National Assembly.

 

[Omar1984]

 

[Frankenstein]

lol, PakTurk my ex college

 

[Omar1984]

 

[FreekiN]

This is going to be epic.

Watch something awesome come out of this.

 

[RameeX Xaved]

wow, Pak-Turk relations reaching skies
after a long time a true bond of unity and brotherhood by the two muslim nations has been seen. Pakistan and Turkey finally realizing each other's importance.
any news regarding defence?

 

[Creder]

yaraan day yaar pakistani

 

[sparklingway]

Turkey keen to cooperate with Pakistan in all fields

Thursday, April 01, 2010
Both countries to upgrade strategic ties, jointly defeat terrorism; Zardari, Gul have heart-to-heart meeting

By our correspondent

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Turkey on Wednesday expressed resolve to upgrade their strategic partnership and intensify political and economic cooperation besides jointly defeating militancy and terrorism that continue to claim scores of innocent lives in Pakistan and Turkey.

The understanding came at a meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and Turkish President Abdullah Gul here at the Presidency which reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations.

The one-on-one meeting between the two presidents was followed by a delegation level formal talks which were attended on the Pakistan side by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Minister for Food & Agriculture Nazar Muhammad Gondal, Interior Minister Rehman A Malik, Railways Minister Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, Finance Adviser Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh besides other senior officials.

On Turkish side, Minister of State Prof Mehmet Aydin, Minister for Health Prof Recap Akdag, Minister for Agricultural & Rural Affairs M Mehdi Eker, were present besides Turkish Ambassador Babar Hizlan, members of parliament and other senior officials.

During the meeting, President Zardari said the public-private partnership model of development adopted by Pakistan could open new horizons of cooperation between Pakistan and Turkey and lend greater depth and substance to the existing cordial ties between the two countries and transform it into a strategic partnership.

Briefing the media on the meeting, Spokesperson for the President Farhatullah Babar said during talks President Asif Ali Zardari emphasised the need for upgrading communication links to further boost trade, commerce and people-to-people contacts. He said the existing rail link needed to be upgraded so as to open up and connect vast European and Asian markets to the benefit of not only Pakistan and Turkey but also of all people in the region. He suggested that the train may be named after the Turkish President as ìGul Trainî.

The president said the proposed 6,500 km Islamabad-Istanbul rail link would vastly improve regional connectivity. It may be mentioned that as per the decision taken during the ECO Ministerial meeting in Tehran in March last year, the demonstration run of the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul container train was launched on August 14 last year.

During President Zardari’s January visit to Istanbul, the Turkish railway authorities also gave a detailed briefing on the prospects of the Islamabad-Istanbul container train. Turkey also offered to assist Pakistan in upgrading its railway network to facilitate operationalisation of the Islamabad-Istanbul container train.

Farhatullah Babar said the two presidents also witnessed the signing of three bilateral agreements between the two countries in the Presidency at the conclusion of the delegation level talks.

The bilateral agreements signed on Wednesday pertained to MoU for collaboration in the fields of agro-based industries, MoU between the Board of Investment of GOP and Republic of Turkey Prime Ministry Investment Support and Promotion Agency (ISPAT) and MoU on cooperation in Planning between the Government of Pakistan and Government of the Republic of Turkey.

After the signing ceremony, the two presidents read out their respective statements to the press. In a joint press talk, President Zardari said Pakistan greatly values its strategic partnership with Turkey which is rooted in shared interests, common concerns and convergence of perceptions on regional and global issues.

“Pakistan is an important country of the region and the world because of its flourishing democracy and strategic location and our bilateral relations are also an example for the entire world,” said Turkish President Abdullah Gul.

President Zardari said Pakistan and Turkey have reiterated the commitment to boost relations in the diverse fields, including economy, trade, investment, agriculture, infrastructure development, defence and people-to-people contacts.

“Keeping in view the huge potential, we have decided to pay special attention to re-energise our trade relations for the mutual benefit of our people and meet the agreed targets,” he added.

President Zardari said the private sector plays a pivotal role in trade enhancement and economic development and to harness potential of the private sector, the two countries had launched Pak-Turk CEO’s forum during the visit of the Turkish prime minister to Pakistan last October.

He said the second meeting of the CEO forum is being held in Islamabad on Wednesday afternoon and in Lahore Thursday. The president said both Pakistan and Turkey condemn terrorism and extremism and “we have reiterated our staunch resolve to jointly defeat this menace”.

He said during talks with President Abdullah Gul, he briefed him on Pakistan’s campaign against extremism and militancy which enjoyed full support of the people. He said the remarkable success of the military operations in Swat, Malakand and South Waziristan are a result of national unity and immense sacrifices of the people and armed forces.

President Zardari said Pakistan and Turkey hold identical views on Afghanistan and “we will continue to lend our support to Kabul’s national efforts to achieve durable peace, prosperity and sustainable development”.

In his remarks, Turkish President Abdullah said Turkey has long standing and historical relations with Pakistan and efforts will be made to further strengthen these relations in future. He said there should be more delegation level visits and meetings to take the relations to new heights.

Appreciating Pakistan’s role in the war against terror, he said the prevailing environment of reconciliation and harmony in Pakistan will guarantee the success of Pakistan in the fight against the menace of militancy and extremism.

The Turkish president also urged the international community to help Pakistan in the fight against this menace. Responding to a question for promoting trade relations between the two countries, the Turkish president said Pakistan and Turkey enjoy excellent brotherly relations but these have not been translated in the fields of economy, commerce and trade.

He said efforts will be made to take the trade between the two countries to the tune of five billion dollars in the shortest possible time. He described his visit to Pakistan as very important and expressed the confidence that it will give new dimensions to relations between the two countries.

He said the Wednesdayís talks will result in concrete outcome and both the countries will enhance their cooperation in economy, trade and energy. He appreciated Pakistan for its contribution to war on terror and also commended the political parties for joining in to root out the menace.

He urged the international community to express solidarity with Pakistan to win the war. He emphasised the need for improving rail link between the two countries and enhanced trade through train service.

President Gul said the energy cooperation is another important field where both the countries can cooperate to overcome Pakistan’s power crisis. He said during his visit to Lahore on Thursday he looked forward to further promoting cultural relations with Pakistan besides people-to-people contacts.

President Zardari thanked Turkey for cooperating with Pakistan, especially in hosting bilateral meetings with Afghanistan, to bring peace and stability in the region. He said Pakistan enjoys excellent relations with Afghanistan and is cooperating to bring peace in that country.

Answering a question, President Abdullah Gul said both the countries have great potential for economic and trade relations but it is unfortunate that it has not yet enhanced properly.He hoped that his current visit would lead to enhanced trade and economic relations. He was confident that the bilateral trade would touch $2 billion mark in a year or two and ultimately swell to $5 billion a year.

 

[sparklingway]

 

[sparklingway]