Istanbul: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif discussed bilateral relations between their two countries.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Turkish Presidential Communications Directorate stated in a statement that Erdogan, during his meeting with Shehbaz Sharif today in Istanbul, stressed that Ankara will continue to take steps to strengthen Turkish-Pakistani relations and achieve the $5 billion trade target.

Erdogan added that Turkey will make efforts to develop cooperation with Pakistan in all fields, especially in energy, transportation, and defense. He stressed that it is in the interest of Turkey and Pakistan to increase cooperation in training and intelligence sharing in the fight against terrorism.

Erdogan emphasized the need to make the Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad railway more effective. He emphasized that practical steps taken in the field of education will contribute to strengthening relations between Trkiye and Pakistan.

The Communications Department stated in its statement that Erdogan and Sharif also discussed a number of regional and international issues of common interest during their meeting. Erdogan expressed his appreciation for Pakistan’s principled position on the Palestinian issue. He noted that Turkey is making intensive efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza as soon as possible.