ISLAMABAD - Pakistan, Turkey and Azerbaijan Wednesday vowed to take the cooperation to new heights and stand with each other on regional and international issues.

Speaking at a joint news conference after the second trilateral meeting of the Foreign Ministers, the top diplomat of the friendly countries echoed unanimity on the Kashmir, Afghanistan and the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.

They expressed the determination to continue cooperation to promote peace, stability, and development in the region. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that a host of topics ranging from trade, investment, security, connectivity, and strategic cooperation came under discussion during the trilateral meeting. 

The FM said the trilateral meeting also discussed global and regional security environment, crimes against Muslim minority in various countries, the challenges of growing Islamophobia and Covid-19 pandemic. The meeting, he said, exchanged views on enhancing cooperation in the field of energy, environment and people to people contacts. 

“Special emphasis was made on increasing parliamentary and media exchanges among the three countries for better understanding and harmony,” he added.

The FM thanked his Turkish and Azerbaijan counterparts for their support on the Kashmir dispute. He said the meeting expressed concerns over the gross human rights violations in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, prolonged military siege in IIOJK and India s unilateral actions to change demography of the area.

On the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, the Foreign Minister called for resolution of this dispute peacefully. He said Pakistan believed that all regional and global issues should be resolved through peaceful means and in light of the relevant international laws.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Pakistan has unique space in the hearts of the people of Turkey. He said both countries support each other in difficult times.

“The current trade volume between the two countries is 800 million dollars which is much below than the real potential of the two countries and this volume needs to be enhanced,” he said.

Pakistan, Turkey to multiply bilateral coop

Cavusoglu said over 100 Turkish companies were currently working in Pakistan in diverse fields and “we are encouraging more companies to come and invest in Pakistan.” He said both countries were cooperating in the sector of defence production.

Mevlut Cavusoglu extended his country s full support to the people of IIOJK and called for resolution of the Kashmir dispute as per relevant UN Resolutions.

He said the next trilateral meeting with be held in Turkey and the three sides had agreed to reduce the gap from the existing three years between sessions.

Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov condemned terrorism and rejected Islamophobia. He expressed the resolve to continue extending cooperation for regional peace and development.

The Azerbaijan FM thanked Pakistan and Turkey for extending their full support during the second war for the liberation of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The three sides signed the Islamabad Declaration on the conclusion of the second round of trilateral meeting.

According to the declaration, the FMs emphasized the existing cordial ties among the three countries, based on fraternity, historic and cultural bonds, mutual respect and trust.

They desired deepening further cooperation built on outcome of the first Trilateral Meeting held in Baku on 30 November 2017, in all areas of mutual interest, including political, strategic, trade, economic, peace and security, science and technology and cultural fields.

They were mindful of the significant contributions made by Pakistan, Turkey and Azerbaijan for promotion of peace, stability and development in their respective regions and the mutual desire of their peoples to further advance these ideals for shared prosperity and security in the broader region.

They were conscious of the myriad challenges and emerging threats confronting their countries including but not limited to threats of foreign sponsored acts of terrorism, cyber-attacks, hybrid forms of warfare, targeted disinformation campaigns, and escalating trends of Islamophobia affecting the peaceful co-existence of Muslim communities in many countries.

The minister expressed serious concerns over the grave human rights violations and crimes against humanity committed against the Muslim communities in various parts of the world.

They were fully aware of the far-reaching implications of the COVID 19 pandemic as well as the vulnerability of the respective regions to adverse impacts of climate change, read the declaration.

They expressed solidarity with the government and people of Azerbaijan in their efforts to rebuild and rehabilitate liberated territories. They reaffirmed commitment towards developing regional consensus for peace and development.

They reiterated their strong and unequivocal support for safeguarding and defending the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of international borders of their respective States.

The three FMs agreed to enhance joint efforts on combating Islamophobia, discrimination and persecution of Muslim minorities, in particular at the regional and international fora.

They recognized the contribution of the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process in peace, stability and economic prosperity in Afghanistan and in the region, and appreciated the efforts of the Government of Pakistan in facilitating a political solution to the issues in the region, expressed their support to Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace process.

They renewed their resolve to strengthen cooperation in peace and security in line with various international and regional instruments to combat all forms and manifestations of terrorism, transnational organized crime, trafficking of drugs, narcotics, trafficking in persons, money laundering, crimes against cultural and historical heritage and cybercrimes.

The three countries reaffirmed the most recent Organisation of Islamic Cooperation resolution 10/47-Pol on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute adopted in Niamey in November 2020 and Communiqués of OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir and expressed deep concern over the  unilateral actions of 5 August 2019, continuing grave human rights violations in and efforts to change the demographic structure of Jammu and Kashmir, and reiterated their principled position for a peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions.

They resolved to support a just, sustainable and realistic and mutually accepted settlement of the Cyprus issue, as well as the issues in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean on the basis of international law.

They reiterated their support for putting an end to the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and normalization of relations on the basis of sovereignty and territorial integrity and internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

They demonstrated commitment to promote cooperation in defence and security fields, including through sharing best practices, capacity building, new and emerging technologies and regular exchange of visits.

They discussed the far-reaching implications for economic growth and public health due to COVID 19 pandemic, agreed to exchange information, research, expertise and best practices, and called for enhanced international cooperation and solidarity to effectively and comprehensibly addressing the challenge, keeping in view financial and capacity limitations of developing countries.

They decided to intensify and deepen cooperation for enhancing trilateral trade &investment and encouraged the relevant ministries of the three countries to develop a robust Action Plan with concrete recommendations regarding easing of duties, tariff and non-tariff barriers, transportation costs, better coordination among the banking sectors and protection of mutual investments, for consideration and approval by the leadership.

They were determined to enhance cooperation on regional connectivity in transport, trade, energy, people-to-people contacts, education, social and cultural exchange, tourism, and Information and Communications Technology, including through improving and strengthening air, rail and road links and regional connectivity initiatives at various regional fora.

They underlined the need to intensify cooperation for food and energy security, environment, sustainable development and climate change and called for greater international cooperation for timely response and achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Pakistan and Turkey yesterday agreed to multiply bilateral cooperation and jointly resolve the regional issues.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi received Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu at the Foreign Office. The two Foreign Ministers held extensive exchange of views on bilateral, regional and global issues, said a foreign ministry statement.

On the bilateral plan, the two Foreign Ministers noted with gratification the positive momentum in brotherly relations between Pakistan and Turkey marked by exceptional mutual trust and deepening cooperation in diverse fields.

The resolve to ensure timely implementation of decisions, taken during the last session of High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council in Islamabad in February 2020, was reaffirmed.

Foreign Minister Qureshi underscored the importance of building a stronger economic partnership, including by realizing the vision in the Strategic Economic Framework.

Thanking Turkey’s firm support to Pakistan on core issue of Jammu and Kashmir, Foreign Minister Qureshi briefed his Turkish counterpart on the grave human rights situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and underscored the importance of peaceful solution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with relevant UN resolutions.

The Foreign Minister highlighted Pakistan’s positive contributions to the Afghan peace process and facilitative role in advancing the cause of peace and stability in Afghanistan.

The Foreign Minister expressed satisfaction at the ongoing cooperation between the two countries at the multilateral forums including at the UN, OIC and the Economic Cooperation Organisation.

The determination to continue extending strong mutual support to each other on all issues of core interest was reiterated.

Expressing concern on the growing phenomenon of Islamophobia, it was agreed to increase collaboration to reflect the true values of Islam and enhance interfaith harmony globally.

The Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Pakistan’s Minister of Federal Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood signed the MoU.

The two Foreign Ministers agreed to maintain close contact and further solidify the fraternal and strategic Pakistan-Turkey relationship.