Turkish President Erdogan hails PM Shehbaz's Mideast peace efforts at diplomacy forum

• PM Shehbaz meets Erdogan on sidelines of diplomacy forum.
• PM thanks President Erdogan for his warm invitation.
• PM, Turkish president discuss Middle East situation.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday held a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

According to a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office, during the warm and cordial meeting, President Erdogan welcomed PM Shehbaz to Turkiye and thanked him for attending the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

The meeting comes a day after the premier reached Turkiye on the third leg of his tri-nation tour after concluding visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

During his visit to Riyadh and Doha, PM Shehbaz held meetings with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The Turkish president, during the meeting with PM Shehbaz on the sidelines of the diplomacy forum earlier today, praised the prime minister’s peace efforts and said Turkiye would continue to support Pakistan’s diplomatic initiative to bring peace to the region.

The prime minister thanked President Erdogan for his warm invitation and traditional Turkish hospitality extended to him and his delegation during his stay in Antalya. 

He congratulated the Turkish president on the success of the Antalya Diplomacy 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. PM Shehbaz thanked 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.

The two leaders also emphasised the importance of effectively utilising the current window of opportunity to advance a durable and lasting regional peace.

While reaffirming the deep-rooted, historic, and brotherly ties between Pakistan and Turkiye, both leaders expressed satisfaction at the positive trajectory of bilateral relations. They agreed to convene the 8th High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) meeting in Ankara later this year.

The two leaders emphasised the importance of expediting the implementation of ongoing initiatives and exploring new opportunities to further deepen economic engagement.

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.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for Information Ataullah Tarar and other senior officials.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and other senior Turkish officials were also present.

PM meets world leaders on sidelines of diplomacy forum

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a series of meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

During the interactions, the prime minister met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, and Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

He also held meetings with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, as well as former Kosovo president Vjosa Osmani.