Shehbaz Sharif visits Iran and Turkiye July 3-5 to attend Ayatollah Khamenei funeral

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Istanbul on Friday for an official visit to Turkiye at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said a statement by the government. The premier, earlier today attended the funeral Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated in a US-Israeli strike on February 28. After paying his respects, the prime minister departed for Istanbul. At Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport, the premier was received by Turkish Minister of Trade Professor Dr Omer Bolat, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkiye Dr Yusuf Junaid, and officials from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Pakistani embassy. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar are accompanying the prime minister. PM Shehbaz and President Erdogan are expected to hold detailed discussions on all aspects of bilateral relations, with a particular focus on enhancing cooperation in trade and investment, added the statement. They will also exchange views on regional peace and security. During his stay in Istanbul, the premier is also scheduled to address a Pakistan-hosted business conference aimed at highlighting investment opportunities in sectors including special economic zones (SEZs), energy, information technology and privatisation. The conference will be attended by prominent Turkish business leaders, investors, senior government officials and other distinguished guests. Pakistan and Turkiye enjoy strong bilateral ties built on shared cultural, religious and historical bonds, as well as mutual respect. Last week, Pakistan and Turkiye signed three MoUs aimed at enhancing institutional collaboration, technical cooperation and knowledge sharing in the power sector during high-level consultations held in Istanbul. The MoUs were signed between Pakistani and Turkish energy sector entities, Independent System and Market Operator (ISMO) and Energy Exchange Istanbul (EPIAS), ISMO and the Turkish Electricity Transmission Corporation (TEIAS), and the Power Planning and Monitoring Company (PPMC) and the Turkish Electricity Distribution Corporation (TEDAS).

Premier to discuss bilateral ties with Erdogan and address Pakistan-hosted business conference

After attending funeral in Tehran, prime minister is expected to travel to Istanbul for a bilateral visit to Turkiye

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit Iran and Turkiye from July 3 to July 5, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi confirmed on Thursday. Addressing a weekly briefing, Andrabi said that during his visit to Iran, the premier would participate in the funeral of late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated in US-Israeli strikes on February 28. The FO spokesperson said PM Shehbaz will travel to Iran first for Khamenei’s funeral. Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, cabinet members and senior officials will accompany the premier on his visit. “The prime minister will convey condolences on behalf of the people and government of Pakistan to the Iranian leadership and the bereaved families while reaffirming solidarity with the brotherly nation in their hour of profound grief,” he said. PM Shehbaz will then visit Istanbul at the invitation of Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Andrabi said. He added that the premier will “hold discussions on the entire gamut of bilateral relations with a special focus on giving impetus to bilateral trade and investment cooperation between the two brotherly countries”. “The leadership meeting will also reflect on issues concerning regional peace and security.” The prime minister will also address a business conference hosted by Pakistan to “spotlight Pakistan’s trade and investment potential in priority areas, including SEZs (special economic zones), energy, trade, IT and privatisation sectors”, Andrabi said. He noted that the conference would bring together leading Turkish businessmen and investors alongside senior officials, dignitaries and other distinguished participants from the business community. The FO spokesperson highlighted that PM Shehbaz’s visits to Iran and Turkiye “reflect Pakistan’s deep-rooted, historic, cultural and fraternal ties with the two brotherly nations”. Speaking about the US-Iran war, Andrabi noted that Islamabad has “stepped up its diplomatic engagement with key regional and international stakeholders as well as the principal interlocutors to facilitate earnest follow-up and implementation” of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed between the warring parties on June 18. He highlighted that “positive progress [was] made on issues related to the different aspects of the Islamabad MoU” during the US-Iran talks held in Doha on Tuesday, which continued into the morning. Andrabi affirmed that Pakistan will “continue to play a facilitative and mediatory role in the negotiation process along with our Qatari partners”. He recalled that in that regard, Dar also continued with “high-level consultations” as he spoke to several counterparts on the phone in recent days. More to follow

Says the prime minister will attend condolence ceremony for martyred Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei