ISLAMABAD: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkiye, who arrived in the capital shortly after midnight on Thursday, was accorded a warm welcome by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

In a message on X, PM Shehbaz called Mr Erdogan “a visionary statesman [who] has transformed Turkiye”.

The Turkish president, whose visit is expected to last two days, arrived in Pakistan from Indonesia.

Separately, Paki­stan and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening their partnership to fully harness nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, vowing to continue their long-standing collaboration.

Pakistan, IAEA vow to deepen nuclear partnership

Both sides expressed this resolve during a meeting between Prime Minister She­hbaz Sharif and IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, underscoring Pak­istan’s strategic focus on using nuclear technology to drive socio-economic growth.

Mr Grossi praised Pakistan’s constructive and long-standing engagement with the IAEA, affirming the organisation’s continued collaboration with Pakistan.

Mr Grossi, in a post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, said that in his conversation, he expressed commitment to working with Pakistan on its “safe and secure peaceful nuclear programme” alongside a valuable exchange on global challenges and effective multilateralism.

PM Shehbaz lauded the IAEA’s initiatives to promote nuclear energy as a vital solution to climate change challenges.

The discussion at their meeting covered the peaceful applications of nuclear technology across various sectors, including cancer diagnostics and treatment, agriculture, food preservation, water management, and industry.

“As one of the founding members of the IAEA, Pakistan has maintained a productive and mutually beneficial partnership with the Agency for several decades,” the prime minister noted. “With the IAEA’s support, Pakistan has made significant progress in nuclear power generation, industrial development, healthcare and agricultural advancements, contributing to the country’s socio-economic growth.”

Mr Grossi’s visit highlighted the deepening partnership between Pakistan and the IAEA for fostering socio-economic development through the peaceful use of nuclear technology.

The IAEA chief also attended the special session of the “International Conference on Opportunities for Women in Nuclear Science & Emerging Technologies” at NUST.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2025