PM Shehbaz departs for two-day Turkiye visit

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday departed here for a two-day visit to Turkiye, at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

He was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed Ishaq Dar, Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi, according to a PM Office press release.

During the visit, the prime minister will hold extensive discussions with President Erdogan on bilateral relations as well as exchange views on recent developments in the region and beyond.

As long-standing allies and strategic partners, Pakistan and Turkiye maintain a tradition of regular high-level exchanges, reflecting the exceptional bonds of brotherhood between the two nations.

The two countries also have institutionalized leadership-level mechanism in the form of High Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) for cooperation and coordination on various issues of mutual interest.

The 7th session of HLSCC was held in Islamabad on February 12–13, 2025 chaired by President Erdogan and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The upcoming meeting represents a continuation of this robust dialogue and underscores the shared commitment to further elevate the multifaceted partnership between Pakistan and Turkiye.

Earlier this month, Pakistan and Turkiye have signed a joint bidding agreement to jointly participate in Pakistan’s upcoming offshore bid round, aimed at exploring energy reserves in the country’s offshore basins.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2025 by Ahmed Turkoglu, CEO of Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO), along with Faheem Haider (Managing Director, Mari Energies), Ahmad Hayat Lak (Managing Director, OGDCL), and Imran Abbasi (Managing Director, PPL).

The partnership focuses on exploring 40 offshore blocks in the Makran and Indus basins, offering a significant opportunity for foreign direct investment in Pakistan’s upstream energy sector.

In February 2025, the government of Pakistan launched an offshore block bid round, offering 40 exploration blocks in the Makran and Indus basins. This initiative is seen as a major opportunity to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) in Pakistan’s upstream energy sector.