ANKARA: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said Pakistan would welcome Turkey to join the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), adding Central Asian states and Turkey together could bring a boost to the CPEC. Interacting with the media persons in Ankara, Turkey on Friday, he said our future vision focuses on establishing linkages with the Central Asian republics from Khunjarab to China to Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
The prime minister said that during his meeting with Turkish President wide ranging issues including Syria, Russia, Daesh, Free Trade Agreement and enhancing economic cooperation came under discussion. He said major development is happening in the Turkey Pakistan cooperation. Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Friday said that Pakistan was a well wisher of Afghanistan and always desired its peace and stability besides wanting to contribute for country’s development.
“Afghanistan should realize that Pakistan is its well wisher,†he said during an interaction with the journalists at a breakfast meeting prior to his departure from Ankara after completing his three day visit. To a question about recent terror incidents in Pakistan, the prime minister said though many links had been traced back into Afghanistan, Pakistan continued to favour stability of its neighbour. A peaceful Afghanistan is in the interest of Pakistan and the region, he added. Mentioning several infrastructure projects in Afghanistan being funded by the Pakistan government, he said the four lane Peshawar to Jalalabad motorway was 70 percent complete and feasibility work was underway on Peshawar Kabul motorway. “We believe in maintaining good relations with all and we demonstrated this spirit of goodwill with other states and within the country as well,†he said. The prime minister, who participated in the High Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) meeting here, said his government was, in particular, focusing on bringing improvement in areas of infrastructure, energy and law and order.
To a question about China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the prime minister said he did not sense any conspiracy by the United States or West on the project’s implementation in Pakistan. However, he pointed that “some regional powers†were unhappy with this project. He viewed that Turkish participation in the CPEC along with Central Asian states, would give a boost to the project. He said his visit to Turkey was significant in strengthening the bilateral and economic prospects. He said his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan focused on several areas including issues related to Syria, Russia and Daesh, besides stressing early finalization of Free Trade Agreement between Pakistan and Turkey. The prime minister said he wanted everyone to contribute towards the national progress and development. He mentioned that the governments of different political parties in all provinces was indeed a test of their pe
