Discusses strengthening bilateral ties
\n Ashgabat
\nThe Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, H.E. Ahsan Iqbal, met today with the President of Turkmenistan, H.E. Serdar Berdimuhamedov. The meeting focused on enhancing bilateral cooperation and exploring opportunities to further regional connectivity.
\nH.E. Ahsan Iqbal expressed his gratitude to the Turkmen leadership for the generous hospitality extended to him and conveyed warm greetings and best wishes on behalf of Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and former Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. Reflecting on his earlier meeting with the former President of Turkmenistan during a previous visit to Pakistan, he expressed great pleasure in now engaging with the next generation of Turkmen leadership.
\nThe Federal Minister extended a formal invitation to H.E. President Serdar Berdimuhamedov to visit Pakistan, which the President graciously accepted.
\nBoth sides reaffirmed their strong commitment to the timely completion of the Turkmenistan\u2013Afghanistan\u2013Pakistan\u2013India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, recognizing it as a transformative initiative beneficial to all participating nations. It was emphasized that Pakistani ports, particularly Gwadar, could provide a strategic outlet for Turkmenistan\u2019s hydrocarbon exports, thus opening new avenues of economic cooperation.
\nOn the economic front, H.E. Ahsan Iqbal underscored the importance of enhancing bilateral trade to USD 4 billion. President Berdimuhamedov responded positively, noting the vast potential for multifold growth in mutual trade, given the existing opportunities between the two brotherly nations. Pakistan offered the export of high-quality surgical instruments, pharmaceutical products, and premium white marble for construction projects in Turkmenistan.
\nPresident Berdimuhamedov expressed keen interest in learning from Pakistan\u2019s experience in the fields of cybersecurity and water resource management. Both sides agreed to expedite the finalization of the Transit Trade Agreement to facilitate increased bilateral and regional trade flows. The resumption of direct air connectivity between Pakistan and Turkmenistan was also discussed to strengthen people-to-people and business linkages.
\nTurkmenistan extended an invitation for Pakistan\u2019s leadership to participate in the celebrations commemorating the 30th Anniversary of Turkmenistan\u2019s Policy of Permanent Neutrality. In a significant development, Turkmenistan also offered to facilitate Pakistan in establishing a logistics hub at Serhetabat to support regional trade integration.
\nThe meeting reaffirmed the resolve of both sides to further strengthen the historic fraternal ties between Pakistan and Turkmenistan and to expand cooperation in the fields of economy, energy, and strategic connectivity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Discusses strengthening bilateral ties Ashgabat The Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, H.E. Ahsan Iqbal, met today with the President of Turkmenistan, H.E. Serdar Berdimuhamedov. The meeting focused on enhancing bilateral cooperation and exploring opportunities to further regional connectivity. H.E. Ahsan Iqbal expressed his gratitude to the Turkmen leadership for the generous hospitality […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":475220,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-475211","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n