ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan is scheduled to pay a two-day official visit to Turkey from Jan 3 at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

It would be the prime minister’s first official visit to Turkey, during which he would be accompanied by a high-level delegation, inclu­ding Minister for Foreign Affairs Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Minis­ter for Planning Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar and Advi­ser to the Prime Minister on Com­merce Abdul Razak Dawood, a Foreign Office statement said on Sunday.

During the visit, the prime minister will meet Turkish President Erdogan and discuss the entire spectrum of bilateral relations between the two countries. Views pertaining to regional and international situation will also be exchanged.

The prime minister will also address a business forum, and hold a number of meetings with Turkish businessmen and potential investors during his stay in Ankara.

Pakistan and Turkey enjoy historic and unparalleled ties based on a common religious and cultural legacy that dates back to centuries. The two countries have excellent political, economic, defence, cultural and people-to-people relations that continue to grow from strength to strength with each passing year.

The prime minister’s visit will further reinforce the historic ties between the governments and the peoples of the two brotherly countries. It will also help explore new areas of cooperation and collaboration between the two countries, particularly in the areas of economic, trade and commercial ties.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2018