PM Shehbaz, Turkish President Erdoğan sign a Joint Declaration of the 7th HLSCC Session, showcasing the multifaceted cooperation between the two brotherly countries

ISLAMABAD, Feb 13 (SABAH): PM Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed a Joint Declaration of the 7th HLSCC Session, which showcases the multifaceted cooperation between the two brotherly countries.

It also gives a roadmap for further deepening, diversifying, and institutionalizing the strategic partnership between Pakistan and Türkiye. The two sides also signed 24 MoUs, agreements and protocols for strengthening bilateral collaboration in various domains.

The joint declaration recalled deep-rooted religious, civilizational, cultural, linguistic and historical relations between Türkiye and Pakistan going back centuries while recognizing the completion of 77 years since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations between the two brotherly countries;

It acknowledging the time tested and exemplary brotherhood and mutual support of peoples and governments of the two countries in challenging times and reiterated that the historic fraternal ties between the peoples of the two brotherly countries are a sacred trust that must be nourished by all and transmitted to our future generations and it stressed the spirit of ‘Two Souls, One Heart’ as the foundation of bilateral relations between Türkiye and Pakistan;

It appreciated the outcomes of the Pakistan-Türkiye Strategic Economic Framework (SEF) and its Action Plan and desirous of giving further impetus to the existing bilateral cooperation between the two countries in all spheres including, inter alia, defense, trade, investment, banking, finance, education, health, energy, culture, tourism, transport and communication, agriculture, water, science and technology;

It underscored the centrality of the Pakistan-Türkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) as a mechanism to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries in a structured, concerted, coordinated, strategic and comprehensive manner and stressed the importance of regular periodic meetings of the HLSCC and its Joint Working Groups (JWGs) and following-up on their work.

It condemned in the strongest possible terms all incidents of terrorist attacks in both the countries and expressing solidarity with their peoples and expressed deep concern at the rising tide of Islamophobia, and condemning in the strongest terms the terrorist and racist attacks against Muslims across the globe and reiterated their common resolve to fight the scourge of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations as well as the threat of extremism, and to support the relevant initiatives in this regard at regional and international platforms. It noted with satisfaction the progress achieved so far and reiterating their resolve towards transforming this fraternal relationship into an ever-expanding, mutually beneficial, strategic partnership;

It recalled all the previous Joint Declarations signed between the two sides under the framework of HLSCC, and the decisions made therein and underlined common resolve to take bilateral relations to ever-newer heights through mutual cooperation in all areas having endorsed the outcomes of the meetings of the respective Working Groups of the HLSCC and expressing satisfaction at the progress achieved therein;

It said we, the co-chairs of the 7th HLSCC, held in Islamabad on 13 February 2025, have agreed as follows: Institutional Framework and Political Cooperation, Bilateral institutional mechanisms, The HLSCC is the main political forum that guides bilateral relations in all fields, The Joint Working Groups of the HLSCC will be named as “Joint Standing Committees” (JSC) henceforth to better reflect their permanent nature.”

Three new JSCs, namely “Security, Defence, and Intelligence JSC”, “Health JSC” and “Science and Technology JSC”, have been established under the HLSCC mechanism. The Plan of Action (annex) prepared as a result of the work carried out by the SEF will continue to be followed-up through the JSCs. Both sides will nominate a designated entity for regular follow-up and monitoring of the implementation of decisions taken by the HLSCC.The JSCs will review, update and amend, as appropriate, the agreements, protocols and MOUs in order to streamline their implementation.

The JSCs will also continue their work to develop specific programs and projects within a framework of enhanced economic cooperation with a view to reach the initial objective of a total bilateral trade volume of USD 5 billion. They will be responsible for defining overall scope of work, plan of action and execution schedule. In this regard, the JSCs will meet twice a year before the meetings of the HLSCC in Ankara and Islamabad.

The Terms of Reference of the JSCs will include, Developing sectoral action plans, Evaluating specific proposals for bilateral cooperation, Implementation and achievement of sectoral results, Finalization of progress reports and submission to the designated entity.”

Considering the expanding scale of the HLSCC, a Joint Commission will be established for the effective implementation and follow-up of decisions of the HLSCC. The Joint Commission will be co-chaired by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and will consist of high-level representatives of relevant institutions, as necessary. The Joint Commission as the umbrella structure for all JSCs and thematic cooperation mechanisms in other areas will conduct its work in line with its own Terms of Reference. The designated entity and the Focal Points for each JSC will report to the Political Coordination JSC which in turn will report to the Joint Commission for annual overall review.

Both sides exchanged views on regional and global developments of mutual interest. The two sides underscore the need for resolution of all outstanding disputes between Pakistan and India, including the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiris. In this regard, Pakistan expresses its deep appreciation for Türkiye’s principled stance on the issue.

The two countries reiterate full and resolute support for the efforts towards the just, lasting, and sustainable settlement of the Cyprus issue. Pakistan reaffirms its support to the Turkish Cypriots and to Türkiye in this regard. Türkiye expresses its deep appreciation for Pakistan’s principled stance on the issue.

Both countries reiterate their support for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan and for advancement of international efforts aimed at building a more sustainable future for the Afghan people through continued, coordinated and coherent engagement with the interim Afghan authorities including on countering terrorism. In this regard, they underlined the importance of inclusive governance, and respect for fundamental rights, particularly of girls and women in Afghanistan.

The two sides also stressed the need for sustaining humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people. They further underscored that Afghanistan should not become a safe haven for terrorist groups. All necessary measures to counter terrorism need to be taken by interim Afghan authorities including against TTP and DAESH, which remain listed under the 1267 UNSC sanctions regime.

Both sides underscore the need for strengthening multilateralism, including through universal and consistent adherence to the fundamental principles of the UN Charter to address the existing and emerging international challenges, in an effective and credible manner.

The two sides emphasized that the United Nations Security Council needs to be made more representative, democratic, transparent, and accountable through comprehensive United Nations Security Council reform process, based on widest possible consensus. In addition, they underlined the need for the implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions to resolve the long-standing disputes on the agenda of the Security Council, especially those pertaining to the Muslim Ummah.

The two sides expressed their grave concern at the unprecedented loss of lives and property as well as displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians as a result of indiscriminate use of force by Israel. Welcoming the Gaza ceasefire, they expressed hope that the truce would lead to a permanent and durable ceasefire. They urged the need for scaling up of humanitarian assistance, including through continued and unobstructed operation of UNRWA, return of all displaced Palestinians to their homes, as well as concerted international efforts for the early reconstruction of Gaza. They underscored that any attempts to displace the Palestinians from their land as well as to continue illegal settlements constitute blatant violation of the international law.

Both sides urged the need to find a just and comprehensive solution for the establishment of a sovereign, independent, and contiguous Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. Both sides stressed the importance of upholding arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation (ADN) instruments and objectives. Undermining those as well as exclusive approaches are regarded as detrimental to the credibility of the global non-proliferation regime and, in this regard, also to the strategic stability in South Asia.

Both sides underscored the importance of work for global disarmament and non-proliferation objectives, safeguarding and strengthening international as well as regional security and promoting strategic stability, including in each other’s respective regions. Türkiye appreciates Pakistan’s commitment to non-proliferation as reiterated in the HLSCC and its adherence to the Nuclear Suppliers Group’s (NSG) Guidelines. Türkiye recognizes that as a country with an extensive experience in this area, Pakistan’s aspiration to membership of the NSG will contribute to the global non-proliferation objectives.

Both countries will continue to cooperate in the fight against terrorism, including through intelligence sharing, exchange of best practices and experiences in the areas of law enforcement, legislation, capacity building and strengthening of the respective AML/CFT regimes.The two sides will continue to cooperate at all international forums, in particular at the United Nations, OIC and other relevant inter-governmental organizations.

Both sides underscored that terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality or civilization. In line with the relevant OIC decisions, the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to carry out joint efforts to broaden the scope of the UNSC sanctions regime by including in its scope individuals and entities associated with anti-Muslim racist and extremist groups for effectively responding to this evolving threat of terrorism.

Both sides agreed to further strengthen the bilateral cooperation under the framework of Pakistan-Türkiye Counter Terrorism consultations and undertook to hold the next round of consultations in Ankara on mutually convenient dates. Türkiye notes with appreciation the exemplary continued measures taken by Pakistan against the Fetullah Gülen Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) including designation of FETÖ as a terrorist organization, and handing over of all linked schools to the Turkish Maarif Foundation.

Both sides recalled designation of 15 March as “International Day to Combat Islamophobia” by the UN General Assembly and called for early appointment of UN Special Envoy on Islamophobia in accordance with UNGA resolution 78/264. Parties welcomed the appointment of Prof. Dr. Mehmet Paçacı, former Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Islamabad, as the Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia of the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

The two countries expressed their determination to continue working closely to combat Islamophobia, hate speech, efforts to link terrorism with Islam, and other manifestations of intolerance towards Muslims, including stereotyping of Muslims.Joint initiatives will be taken to counter stereotyping and defamation of Islam and Muslims, including incitement to acts of violence, xenophobia, and related intolerance and discrimination against Islam, its religious symbols, and venerated personalities, by means of print, audio-visual & electronic media, the Internet, as well as entertainment media such as movies, videos and digital games.

The two countries shall continue to cooperate and coordinate at regional and international forums, particularly the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), and the D-8 Organization, etc. through, inter alia, mutual support for each other’s and joint initiatives, policies and candidacies.

The two countries agree to work together bilaterally as well as at the global forums to address threats posed by the adverse effects of climate change; and explore avenues to enhance cooperation with regard to implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).The two countries shall continue to work closely to address irregular migration and agreed to further develop cooperation on irregular migration and to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling. Türkiye acknowledges and notes with appreciation the measures being taken by Pakistan towards implementation of the Agreement on the Readmission of Persons Residing without Authorization as well as facilitation with regard to provision of documents of irregular migrants exiting from Türkiye.

Keeping in view frequency, intensity and impact of disasters in two countries, it was agreed to enhance collaboration between the two countries in disaster response, rescue and relief work through their respective lead agencies i.e., National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) of Pakistan and Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD). The two countries agreed to continue the realization of various social and physical infrastructure and cultural projects in Pakistan through Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) within the framework of development cooperation.

Both sides agreed to further expand cooperation in the defence and security spheres, including by prioritizing sourcing of their defence purchases from each other to the extent possible, and promoting possibilities for joint research and development as well as joint ventures, in accordance with their national laws and regulations and their relevant international commitments and obligations.

They agreed to enhance cooperation between the law enforcement institutions, departments and agencies of both countries through, inter alia, training activities and sharing of best practices, information sharing etc and cooperate through relevant counter-terrorism institutions to develop methods and avenues of cooperation and information sharing, in keeping with the evolving nature of the threat, including in the areas of cyber-terrorism and cyber-crime.

Both sides agreed to encourage cooperation in human capacity building, especially in the fields of management of the distribution systems and encourage technical assistance visit of TEDAŞ to Pakistan in the areas of power distribution, operation and maintenance as well as to explore cooperation opportunities on energy sector especially the Upstream, Mid-stream, Downstream, services, renewables, energy efficiency, and conservation.

They agreed to enhance cooperation on exchanging views, experiences, and expertise in technology and technical matters in energy field and encourage periodic meetings of the sub-groups on Hydrocarbons, Development of National Electricity Plan and Integrated Energy Plan, Regulatory Collaboration, Mining, Renewable Energy (including Geothermal Energy), and Energy Efficiency and Conservation.
It was welcomed the participation of Turkish companies in the privatization process of Pakistani power distribution companies. They agreed to explore opportunities for collaboration with relevant institutions and organizations in Pakistan, particularly in the fields of geology and mining, with a focus on gold and other critical and strategic minerals and establish a Sub-group on mining sector. Pakistan side welcomes Turkish investment in clean and green energy in Pakistan, especially participation in solar and hydro energy projects and setting up of manufacturing facilities in the clean energy sector.

Both sides agreed to review the existing bilateral trade and investment between the two countries and agreed to increase the level of economic engagement to mobilize the vast untapped potential in this regard and to continue collaboration to ensure effective implementation of the Trade in Goods Agreement (TGA) between the Government of the Republic of Türkiye and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which came into force on 1st May 2023, including inter alia, information sharing of Tariff Rate Quotas.

They agreed to confirm their intent to start technical discussions, within two months, aiming to upgrade the existing Trade in Goods Agreement by adding new products to concession lists and draft an Agreement on trade in services, digital trade and investment facilitation, preferably within a year and to continue and accelerate the work of the Joint Task Force to promote industrial partnerships for collaboration and to enhance bilateral trade and market access, focusing on priority sectors for both economies toward achieving the USD 5 billion trade volume target. In this regard, both sides will continue to support participation in trade fairs, expos, and periodic business forums, involving industrial associations, chambers of commerce, and private sector stakeholders.

They express satisfaction on the conclusion of MoU on Halal Certification, and agreed to enhance technical cooperation in the field of halal quality infrastructure, reduce technical barriers to halal trade.

They agreed to establish an electronic data exchange system for verification of origin certificates used in cross-border trade between Türkiye and Pakistan and encourage the integration of Turkish and Pakistani SMEs onto their leading e-commerce market places, ensuring mutual accessibility as well as foster cooperation in fintech, logistics, digital payments, AI for businesses, block chain and cyber security to support a transparent and efficient e-commerce ecosystem.