ANKARA, 11 February 2014: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is visiting Turkey from 12-15 February to attend the 8th Turkey-Afghanistan-Pakistan Trilateral Summit in Ankara. The Prime Minister would be accompanied by a high-level delegation.
The Turkey-Afghanistan-Pakistan Trilateral process was launched in 2007. The last summit was held in December 2012 in Ankara. It is an important platform for high-level dialogue, security cooperation, and economic development partnership.
The theme of the 8th Trilateral Summit is “Sustainable Peace in the Heart of Asia.” The Summit is taking place in the backdrop of important political and security transitions in Afghanistan, including Presidential and Provincial Council elections on 5 April 2014 and the draw-down of NATO/ISAF forces by 31 December 2014.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif 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 stabilization in Afghanistan in concert with international partners.
Pakistan has extended consistent support for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan. It remains committed to working with Afghanistan as well as the international community for sustainable peace, stability and development in Afghanistan. The Ankara Trilateral Summit would carry forward the process of constructive engagement and leadership exchanges on the evolving situation as well as matters of common interest.
During the Summit, the Prime Minister would have extensive interaction with Turkey’s President H.E. Mr. Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan as well as Afghanistan’s President H.E. Hamid Karzai. The senior members of the Prime Minister’s delegation would have meetings with their respective counterparts in trilateral formats.
Separately, the Prime Minister will meet the President of Turkey and the Prime Minister to review wide spectrum of bilateral relations with focus on economic cooperation. In Istanbul, he will be having meetings with the Chairman/CEO of major Turkish companies.