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By News Centre

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler visited Pakistan for diplomatic talks. Minister Fidan met with Pakistani Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar in the capital, Islamabad, and then addressed a press conference.

Fidan announced that the agreement reached with Pakistan will allow Turkish companies to engage in oil and natural gas exploration off the coast of Pakistan, a first. He stated that "cooperation mechanisms in mining, natural gas, oil, and rare earths" are being evaluated, adding, "In this context, the agreement signed between the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) and Pakistan's national oil companies in April of this year represents a very significant step."

Fidan stated that the foundation of the exceptional relations between Turkiye and Pakistan is the brotherly bond between their peoples, and that the strong bond between the two countries' leaders leads to more concrete and productive results. "Our duty is to transform our brotherly relationship into an institutional partnership," Fidan said. "We are taking extremely strong and determined steps in this direction," he said, noting that cooperation in the fields of economy, energy, defense industry, education, and culture is increasing daily.

Fidan stated that Turkiye and Pakistan have made significant strides in the defense industry, saying, "These achievements are a source of pride for all of us. We want to strengthen our cooperation in the defense industry in the coming period. This will be a highly strategic step for the security of our countries. We have ongoing projects in many areas in this regard." Fidan noted that the two countries have demonstrated a strong resolve in the fight against terrorism for many years and stated that they will continue to support each other in this regard.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who continues his diplomatic activities with a visit to Pakistan, will next stop in Malaysia. Fidan will make an official visit to Malaysia today to attend the Seventh Tripartite Meeting of the Turkiye-ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partnership (SDO). Also attending the trilateral meeting will be Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan, in his capacity as ASEAN Chairman, and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn. Fidan most recently attended the trilateral meeting held on July 26, 2024, in Laos, as part of the 57th Foreign Ministers' Meeting. Fidan, who is scheduled to speak at the meeting, is expected to emphasize that the Asia-Pacific is currently at the center of geopolitical, economic, and environmental crises and to emphasize Türkiye's support for this effective multilateralism.