Sharif to visit Turkey for fifth session of HLSCC

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will visit Turkey from February 22 to 24 for the fifth session of the Pakistan-Turkey High Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC).

The Prime Minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, consisting of Ministers and senior officials. He would have wide-ranging consultations with the Turkish leadership on bilateral, regional and international issues.

Together with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, Sharif would co-chair the fifth HLSCC meeting, to be held in Ankara on February 23.

The Pakistan-Turkey High Level Cooperation Council (HLSCC) was established in 2009, as a framework for consultations at the highest political level between the two sides.

So far, four Sessions of the HLSCC have been held - December 2010; May 2012; September 2013; and February 2015. The last session was held in Islamabad on 17 February 2015. More than 50 agreements/MoUs have been concluded between the two sides within the HLSCC framework.

At the conclusion of the fifth Session, a Joint Declaration will be issued. A number of agreements/MoUs are also expected to be signed on the occasion.

During the visit, Sharif would be meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and will also visit the Turkish Parliament.

This year also marks the 70th year of Pakistan-Turkey Diplomatic Relations. The two countries envisage special commemorative events throughout the year to celebrate this milestone.