PM Shehbaz eyes collective research, pooling of resources with Turkiye

PM Shehbaz eyes collective research, pooling of resources with Turkiye

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistan and Turkiye should work together through collective research and the pooling of resources. In an exclusive interview with the Turkish Anadolu news agency, he said Islamabad and Ankara should work together through collective research and the pooling of resources, to face common challenges and emerging threats. The Prime Minister said the two sides have always stood by each other in the face of all changes. He said Pakistan and Turkiye support each other on all issues of core national interest, whether it is Jammu and Kashmir or Northern Cyprus. Shehbaz Sharif thanked Tyrkiye, particularly its leadership, for its principled support in the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. He said the two nations have similar views on regional and international issues, and closely collaborate in all fora. The Prime Minister said people-to-people and cultural contacts between the two countries are on an upward trajectory. Lauding the Turkish defence industry, he said that confronted by common challenges and new and emerging threats, Pakistan and Turkiye have deepened their cooperation across various spheres, particularly in defence. On the economic front, he said Pakistan’s economy is facing excessive monetary tightening, supply-side shocks, lingering pandemic effects, waning investor confidence, high inflation, and the effects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The prime minister said the revival of the IMF programme and active engagement with bilateral and multilateral partners had eased the pressure. To a question regarding the environment, the Prime Minister said that while Pakistan contributes less than 1 percent of the global carbon footprint, it is facing the brunt of natural calamities in the form of heat waves, glacial outbursts, droughts, torrential rains, and unprecedented monsoons. The Prime Minister said there is an urgent need for the industrialised countries to meet their climate finance commitments, with a balanced focus on adaptation and mitigation.