The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has announced on Thursday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will embark on a two-day official visit to Turkiye on November 25 at the request of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
According to a press statement, the premier will co-inaugurate the third of four MILGEM Class Corvette Ships for the Pakistan Navy, PNS Khyber, at the Istanbul Shipyard with President Erdogan.
The two will also undertake extensive conversations on bilateral ties, regional concerns and other topics of mutual interest.
PM Shehbaz will also meet with leaders of the Turkish business community. During his visit to Istanbul, the president of the ECO Trade and Development Bank (ETDB) will also meet with the prime minister.
According to the statement, Pakistan and Turkey have brotherly connections that are strongly rooted in similarities of faith, culture and history and are supported by outstanding cordiality and mutual trust.
The MILGEM project, which is based on cooperative collaboration between the two nations, marks an essential milestone in the Pakistan-Turkiye strategic alliance which was on an upward trajectory.
The first corvette for the Pakistan Navy, PNS Babur, was launched in Istanbul in August 2021 while the groundbreaking for the second ship, PNS Badr, was held in Karachi in May 2022. Frequent leadership transfers have been a distinguishing aspect of the Pakistan-Turkiye friendship’s enduring links.
PM Shehbaz had previously visited Turkey in May-June 2022.
