In phone calls, PM Shehbaz exchanges Eid greetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Leaders unanimously urge international community to redouble efforts for peaceful ceasefire in Gaza. Discuss upcoming SCO Summit in Astana. Pakistan, Tajikistan desire to enhance ties through trade, energy and connectivity.
LAHORE/ISLAMABAD - Amid celebratory messages with a number of Muslim states leaders on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha including Turkiye, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries in various fields, including trade, investment, defence and tourism.
PM Shehbaz also held telephonic talks with Muslim world leaders including President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and exchanged Eid greetings.
In their conversation, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan celebrated the strong bonds of friendship and brotherhood between Pakistan and Turkiye that were rooted in shared values, history and cultural affinities. Both the leaders held a warm and cordial telephone conversation, exchanging greetings and best wishes on the occasion of Eid ul Azha, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
Prime Minister Sharif and President Erdogan also discussed ways to promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and beyond.
“They expressed serious concern about the current situation in Palestine while urging the international community to redouble peace efforts to end the misery and suffering of the innocent Palestinians. The two leaders agreed to continue working together to address common challenges and to support each other’s core national interests,” the press statement further added.
The warm conversation between the two leaders was a testament to the strong and enduring relationship between Pakistan and Turkiye, and their commitment to continuing their close cooperation in the days ahead.
To this end, the prime minister reiterated his cordial invitation to President Erdogan to undertake an official visit to Pakistan at his earliest convenience so as to convene the 7th session of the High Level Strategic Consultative Council (HLSCC).
Separately on X account, the prime minister posted that he shared warm wishes and greetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkiye on Eid-ul-Azha, highlighting the strong bonds of friendship, mutual respect and cooperation between the two nations.
“We reaffirmed our commitment to further strengthen these historic ties into a mutually beneficial strategic partnership. I reiterated my cordial invitation to President Erdogan to visit Pakistan at his earliest convenience. Long live Pakistan-Turkiye friendship & Eid Mubarak to all our Turkish brothers and sisters!” he said in the post.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also held a telephone conversation with President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan to exchange greetings on the occasion of Eid ul Adha.
The prime minister congratulated President Rahmon and the brotherly people of Tajikistan on the blessed occasion of Eid, and expressed his wishes for peace, prosperity, and development of both countries.
President Rahmon reciprocated the greetings and best wishes and praised the strong fraternal relations between Pakistan and Tajikistan, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
The two leaders also expressed satisfaction at the positive trajectory of bilateral relations and reaffirmed their shared desire to enhance ties through trade, energy, and connectivity.
They also discussed the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Astana and reiterated their commitment to strengthen mutually beneficial regional integration and cooperation.
They exchanged views on international developments and agreed to continue working together to promote peace and stability within the Muslim world, as well as in the region.
The telephone call was a testament to the strong friendship and brotherhood between Pakistan and Tajikistan.
Separately, on X account, the prime minister said that he had exchanged Eid greetings with Emomali Rahmon, President of Tajikistan on telephone.
“We prayed for unity, peace and happiness of the Muslim Ummah. Thanked President Rahmon for his longstanding support to Pakistan and reaffirmed our shared commitment to build stronger bilateral ties and enhance regional cooperation,” prime minister added in his post.
The prime minister also had a telephone conversation with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha.
“The two dignitaries exchanged Eid greetings and expressed their best wishes for the people of both countries on this auspicious occasion. They also prayed for unity, peace and prosperity of the Muslim Ummah,” PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
During the telephone conversation, the two leaders reviewed recent developments in bilateral relations, especially in the domain of trade, defence and energy.
They expressed satisfaction on the positive trajectory of relations and agreed to continue working closely to further strengthen bilateral ties to match the political goodwill that existed between both countries.
In addition, they also discussed ways to deal with common challenges, especially climate change.
The prime minister congratulated Azerbaijan for hosting the COP29 in Baku later this year and thanked President Aliyev for extending a personal invitation to him to participate in the event.
Both the leaders reaffirmed that Pakistan and Azerbaijan would continue to support each other at multilateral forums including at the United Nations, OIC and ECO.
They particularly appreciated the firm and consistent support that both countries extended to each other on their respective core issues.
Prime Minister Sharif also reiterated his warm and cordial invitation to President Aliyev to undertake an official visit to Pakistan soon. President Aliyev confirmed that he would visit Pakistan at an early date.
On X account, the prime minister said that he had a warm conversation with Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, to wish each other on Eid ul Adha.
“We prayed that this Eid brings joy to our two countries as well as bringing peace and unity to the Muslim Ummah. Exchanged views on how to further strengthen our existing excellent, fraternal relations. There is tremendous potential in trade, investment, energy and connectivity. Reiterated my invitation to President Aliyev to visit Pakistan which he very graciously accepted to do at an early date,” he further said in X post.
Later, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa held a cordial telephone conversation to exchange warm greetings on the occasion of Eid ul Adha and expressed their mutual respect and admiration for the strong historical ties between Pakistan and Bahrain, built on shared values and cultural affinities.
The prime minister acknowledged and appreciated Bahrain’s support and cooperation in various fields over the years. In particular, he thanked King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for his respect and affection towards Pakistan, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
“The two leaders reaffirmed the commitment of both nations to further strengthen bilateral relations, enhance economic cooperation, and work closely to promote regional peace and security”, the press statement added.
While fondly recalling King Hamad’s historic visit to Pakistan in 2014, the prime minister reiterated his warm and cordial invitation to the Bahrainian King to undertake an official visit to Pakistan at his earliest convenience.
The telephone call reflected the warm and friendly relations between Pakistan and Bahrain, with a shared desire to further deepen their fraternal ties.