Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is greeted with local customs on arrival in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Photo: ONLINE
ASHGABAT:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday met Serdar Berdimuhamedov, President of Turkmenistan and discussed matters of mutual interest.
During their warm and cordial meeting, the prime minister congratulated the Turkmen president on the 30th anniversary of Permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan and on the UN designation of 2025 as the International Year of Peace and Trust.
While underscoring the importance of the historic and fraternal relations between Pakistan and Turkmenistan, the prime minister expressed his resolve to further strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries, particularly through enhanced trade and economic engagement.
The prime minister conveyed his deepest gratitude to the Turkmen leadership and government for the support extended to safely evacuate Pakistani nationals from Iran during the Iran-Israel war earlier this year.
The prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s desire to enhance connectivity with Turkmenistan through land and sea routes and said that Karachi and Gwadar ports were ideally located to be utilised by the Turkmen side to enhance their outreach to South Asia and beyond.
While thanking the Turkmen president for the gracious hospitality extended to him and his delegation by the Turkmen side, the Prime Minister conveyed his warm wishes for Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, National Leader of the Turkmen People and reiterated his most cordial invitation to him as well as to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov to undertake official visits to Pakistan next year, on mutually convenient dates, to be worked out by the two sides.
The Turkmen president thanked the prime minister for his visit and participation in the International Forum on Peace and Trust and assured that Turkmenistan was also keen to enhance its bilateral cooperation with Pakistan across multiple areas of mutual interest.
The prime minister arrived in Ashgabat, on a two-day official visit to Turkmenistan to participate in the International Forum dedicated to the International Year of Peace and Trust (2025), International Day of Neutrality and the 30th anniversary of the Permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan from 11-12 December 2025.
He was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister & Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Energy Minister Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and other members of the cabinet and senior government officials.
