ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister She­hbaz Sharif on Thursday met Serdar Berdimuhamedov, Pre­sident of Turk­menistan, in Ashgabat.

According to the PM Office, the prime minister congratulated the Turkmen president on the 30th anniversary of Permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan and on the UN designation of 2025 as the International Year of Peace and Trust.

While underscoring the importance of the historic and fraternal relations between Pakistan and Turkmenistan, the PM expressed his resolve to further strengthen ties between the

two countries, partic­ularly through enh­anced trade and economic engagement.

He conveyed his deepest gratitude to the Turkmen leadership and government for the support extended to safely evacuate Pakistani nationals from Iran during the Iran-Israel war earlier this year.

The PM reaffirmed Pakistan’s desire to enhance connectivity with Turkm­enistan through land and sea routes and said that Karachi and Gwadar ports were ideally located to be utilised by the Turkmen side to enhance their outreach to South Asia and beyond.

While thanking the Turkmen president for the hospitality extended to him and his delegation by his government, the PM conveyed his warm wishes for H.E. Gurbanguly Ber­dimuhamedov, Nat­ional Leader of the Turkmen People, and reiterated his invitation to him as well as to President Serdar Berdimu­hamedov to undertake official visits to Pakistan next year, on mutually convenient dates, to be worked out by the two sides.

The Turkmen president thanked the prime minister for his visit and participating in the International Forum on Peace and Trust and assured that Turk­me­nistan was also keen to enhance its bilateral cooperation with Pakistan across multiple areas of mutual interest.

Earlier, upon his arrival at Ashgabat International Airport, the prime minister and his delegation were warmly received by Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Head of Transport and Commu­nications, Mam­metkhan Chakyyev.

The prime minister is undertaking the visit on the invitation of Turkmenistan president. He will participate in a high-level forum being held on Friday in conn­ection with the International Year of

Pea­ce and Trust 2025, the International Day of Neutrality, and the 30th anniversary of Turk­menistan’s permanent neutrality.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, Minister for Power Sardar Awais Khan Leghari, Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar and prime minister’s special assistants Tariq Fatemi and Talha Burki are accompanying She­hbaz Sharif during the visit.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2025