PM, Erdogan emphasise importance of utilising ‘window of opportunity’ for lasting regional peace – Pakistan
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday emphasised the importance of “effectively utilising the current window of opportunity to advance durable and lasting regional peace” amid the ongoing war in the Middle East.
In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said that the premier met Erdogan on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.
“During the warm and cordial meeting, President Erdogan welcomed the Prime Minister to Türkiye and thanked him for his participation in the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum,” the statement said.
According to the PMO, the premier thanked Erdogan for his warm invitation and the traditional Turkish hospitality extended to him and his delegation during his stay in Antalya. He also congratulated the Turkish president on the success of the forum, which he said had transformed into an important global event.
“The two leaders exchanged views on recent regional developments, particularly the evolving situation in the Middle East. The prime minister thanked President Erdogan for his strong support and encouragement of Pakistan’s peace efforts and shared with him the updates on how to extend the ceasefire and resume talks so that a peace agreement could be reached,” it said.
“The two leaders emphasised the importance of effectively utilising the current window of opportunity to advance a durable and lasting regional peace,” the statement said.
Both leaders also expressed satisfaction at the positive trajectory of bilateral relations and agreed to convene the eighth High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting in Ankara later this year, it added.
“Both leaders emphasised the importance of expediting the implementation of ongoing initiatives and exploring new opportunities to further deepen economic engagement,” the PMO said.
“The meeting concluded with both leaders reaffirming their resolve to further strengthen the strategic partnership between Pakistan and Türkiye, building on fraternal ties, and a shared vision for peace and prosperity,” it said.
Per the handout, the meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Ataullah Tarar and other senior officials. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and other senior Turkish officials were also present.
Informal meetings with world leaders
Shehbaz also held informal meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of Antalya Diplomacy Forum, the PMO said. According to the PMO, PM Shehbaz met Erdogan, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa.
He also held meetings with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, as well as the former president of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, it added.
The meetings were held in a “cordial atmosphere”, the PMO said. “Regional and global situations were also discussed during the meetings,” it said.
Separately, Senior Adviser to the US President for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos paid a courtesy call to PM Shehbaz, according to the PMO.
During the meeting, the premier “conveyed his warm regards for US President Donald Trump, while fondly recalling his own warm and cordial interactions with him”.
PM Shehbaz expressed “deep appreciation” for the US president’s “bold and decisive leadership that had led to the ceasefire between Pakistan and India last year, when both countries were on the brink of war”.
He also commended the president for the ceasefire in Lebanon. PMO added that the two sides “discussed current regional developments, including Pakistan’s peace efforts that led to the ceasefire as well as the historic Islamabad Talks”.
The premier stressed the significance of strengthening Pakistan-US ties, “especially economic and trade cooperation, as well as matters of mutual interest in multilateral diplomacy’.
According to the statement, Boulos “conveyed greetings to the prime minister from president Trump and appreciated Pakistan’s constructive contributions to regional stability”.
The US official also expressed his country’s interest in “deepening engagement with Pakistan on shared priorities, including counter-terrorism, economic development, and addressing global challenges”.
Dar’s meetings
Dar, who accompanied the premier on his tri-nation trip, met the foreign ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bangladesh, Algeria, Austria, Northern Cyprus and Singapore’s minister of state for trade.
Dar, in his meeting with Austria’s Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, “reaffirmed the positive trajectory of Pakistan–Austria relations”.
During the meeting, Dar also expressed Pakistan’s “commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation with Austria, Dar wrote on X.
The Austrian FM appreciated Pakistan’s role in the US-Iran negotiations, Dar added. “We agreed on the importance of continued engagement for regional peace and stability,” Dar said.
In his meeting with the Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, Dar said the two exchanged views on strengthening bilateral ties and regional developments
“FM Attaf appreciated Pakistan’s role in achieving the initial ceasefire and the continued efforts in promoting dialogue and diplomacy toward lasting peace and stability in the region,” Dar wrote in another post on X.
Regarding his meeting with the Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina Elmedin Konaković on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Dar, in a separate post, said the two reaffirmed the strong historical bonds between the two countries, “having stood by each other in times of hardship and crisis”.
“Also exchanged views on the latest regional developments,” he said.
Dar also met Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman on the sidelines of the forum.
“We discussed strengthening Pakistan–Bangladesh ties and exchanged views on regional developments, including Pakistan’s role in facilitating dialogue,” Dar wrote.
“I look forward to our continued positive and forward-looking engagement,” he added.
Earlier, the Foreign Office (FO) said that Dar held a meeting with the Foreign Minister Northern Cyprus Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu.
During the meeting, the two resolved to strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly for “education and welfare” of the Pakistani diaspora in the country, the FO said.
FO added that the two also “agreed to maintain close engagement and continue working together to promote the mutual benefit of their peoples”.
In a separate post, Dar said he met Singapore’s Minister of State for Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang.
“As we mark 60 years of Pakistan–Singapore diplomatic relations, we reaffirmed our commitment to further strengthening cooperation across all sectors, including at the multilateral fora,” Dar wrote.
He added that during the meeting, the two discussed regional developments with Huang expressing “strong support for and appreciation of Pakistan’s efforts to promote dialogue and diplomacy for peaceful resolution of issues in the region”.
A day earlier, after spending the afternoon in Qatar to discuss regional developments with its ruler, PM Shehbaz reached Turkiye to meet Erdogan, where he will apprise the Turkish premier of the peace talks to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East, as well as attend the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum.
For his tri-nation trip, PM Shehbaz left Pakistan on Wednesday for Saudi Arabia, where he met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, before his departure for Doha, where he met the Qatari ruler to discuss the US-Iran talks, brokered by Islamabad.
In its earlier statement, the FO said the visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar were “in the bilateral context”. It added that the premier would meet the leadership there to “discuss ongoing bilateral cooperation as well as regional peace and security”.
Gulf countries — including Saudi Arabia — were facing Iranian attacks, which Tehran says were aimed at US and Israeli sites in response to the latter’s deadly large-scale strikes. Pakistan intensified efforts to act as a mediator between the United States and Iran to end the war that had engulfed the Middle East, leading to a fragile, temporary ceasefire and a first round of talks in Islamabad.
