Türkiye, Pakistan celebrate 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties

Türkiye and Pakistan commemorated the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations, earlier described by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as “two hearts, one soul”.

Sapling plantation ceremonies were held in the foreign ministries of both countries to mark the event, according to official statements on Wednesday.

Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Faruk Kaymakci hosted the tree plantation ceremony held in the ministry in Ankara.

The ceremony was attended by Pakistan's Ambassador to Turkey Yousaf Junaid, officials from the Pakistan Embassy and Turkish diplomats.

Kaymakci, in his remarks, highlighted the two countries’ support for each other during “critical times” as the relationship evolved from a strategic perspective. He hoped that this special relationship would continue to grow from “strength to strength”.

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Ambassador Junaid, for his part, recalled that the relationship between the two nations was much older than 75 years.

He underscored the tradition of mutual support on all core issues, which testified to the enviable amity between the two sides.

He expressed satisfaction with the existing “robust” institutional frameworks in place to move the relationship forward, citing economic and connectivity opportunities and the recently signed ‘Trade in Goods Agreement’ as harbingers of a new future for this relationship.

The ceremony was followed by a meeting between the deputy foreign minister and Pakistan’s envoy. The statement added that the two sides took stock of Sharif’s recent “successful” visit to Istanbul and agreed to follow up on the decisions made during the tour.

Meanwhile, a similar ceremony was held at the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad hosted by State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar. Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan Mehmet Pacaci and other senior embassy officials attended the event.

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Addressing the ceremony, Khar noted that Ankara and Islamabad have similar positions on various regional and global issues and have always stood alongside one another in difficult times.

She highlighted Turkish companies’ recent investments in Pakistan in various sectors, including infrastructure and health, hoping Islamabad will attract additional investments from Türkiye.

She added that the two sides are committed to increasing bilateral trade volume to $5 billion over the next three years.

Khar expressed gratitude to Ankara for its financial and technical assistance during the recent super floods that inundated a third of Pakistan, saying Pakistanis have always been proud of the Turkish people.