Sharif leaves for Turkey to attend trilateral summit

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today left on a three-day visit to Turkey to attend a trilateral summit involving Afghanistan that would focus on security cooperation and economic partnership.
The Turkey-Afghanistan-Pakistan Trilateral Summit is an important platform for high-level dialogue, security cooperation and economic development partnership, an official statement said here.
The trilateral process was launched in 2007 and the last summit was held in December 2012 in Ankara. The theme of this year's summit is 'Sustainable Peace in the Heart of Asia'.
The summit, from February 12-14, is taking place in the backdrop of important political and security transitions in Afghanistan, including Presidential and Provincial Council elections in April and the draw-down of NATO forces by December.

"Sharif has articulated a forward-looking vision of a peaceful and prosperous neighbourhood, defined by close, cooperative relations with all neighbours, including Afghanistan.
"His participation in the Ankara Summit is part of the efforts to help strengthen the process of stabilisation in Afghanistan in concert with international partners," said the statement.

Pakistan has extended consistent support for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan, it added.
Pakistan remains committed to working with Afghanistan as well as the international community for sustainable peace, stability and development in that country, the statement said.
During the Summit, Sharif would have extensive interaction with Turkey's President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as well as Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai.