Speaking at the Turkish-Pakistan Business Forum in Istanbul, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's great support was decisive in enabling Islamabad to mediate in the peace process between the US and Iran.
Sharif said, "Thanks to the tremendous support of my dear brother President Erdogan, Pakistan was able to mediate for the establishment of peace between the US and Iran. This was an easy yet extremely complex task. Without the sincere support of President Erdogan and other friendly and brotherly countries, it would have been almost impossible."
The Pakistani Prime Minister noted that the ceasefire agreement reached as a result of the mediation had entered into force, saying, "The Islamabad Agreement was signed by US President Donald Trump, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and myself on behalf of Pakistan as the mediator. Now we must seize this opportunity and harness the tremendous potential of the peace process for the benefit not only of our countries but of the entire region."
In his speech, Sharif also highlighted the deep-rooted ties between Turkey and Pakistan, describing Ankara as "one of Pakistan's most loyal allies in the world." He noted that the fraternal bonds between the two countries date back centuries and existed long before Pakistan's founding in 1947.
Sharif stressed that the ideas discussed at the forum should be implemented for the benefit of both countries. Describing Turkey's industrial transformation over the past 20 years under President Erdogan's leadership as "a small miracle," the Pakistani Prime Minister said, "Your automotive sector has reached the same level as Europe. The same goes for textiles, livestock, and agriculture. We have come here to learn from your experiences and to take your extraordinary success stories as an example."
Touching on economic cooperation opportunities, Sharif announced that a special zone would be allocated for Turkish investors in the industrial park in Karachi. He also drew attention to Pakistan's rich reserves of rare earth elements and other minerals, saying, "It is time to start tapping these natural resources through joint efforts. I see no limits to our cooperation."
Noting that 60 percent of Pakistan's 240 million population is in the 15-30 age bracket, Sharif said this young workforce could be turned into a significant economic advantage through investments in artificial intelligence and technology. The Prime Minister pointed out that comprehensive reforms have been carried out in Pakistan's energy sector and that Turkey has given serious support to this process, and stressed that President Erdogan, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar, and the Turkish business community are eager to invest in Pakistan.
Sharif added that the two countries have supported each other in difficult times throughout history, and that the priority is to develop cooperation between companies, and where necessary, intergovernmental mechanisms can also be brought into play.
