Updated on
Summary
President Asif Ali Zardari will start four-day official tour of Turkey on Sunday to attend a trilateral summit with his Turkish and Afghan counterparts, aimed at steadily enhancing relations among the three countries and to continue efforts for bringing a lasting, durable peace to Afghanistan. Besides participating in this fourth trilateral summit among the three Muslim countries, President Zardari will also represent Pakistan at a Regional Summit of the six countries bordering Afghanistan during his four day stay in this historic Turkish Metropolis, lying astride the two continents of Europe and Asia. It was agreed in the previous summits to consolidate ties among Pakistan, Turkey and Afghanistan in the political and economic fields and on security issues while the latest meeting between the three Heads of State will include the sector of Education as part of expanded cooperation between them. Bilateral relations will also claim a lions share of discussions when the Pakistani President meets his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul the following day. Of special significance in the backdrop of Pakistan-Turkey relations will be a 20-minute presentation on the ambitious project of laying a railway line from Islamabad to Istanbul, via Tehran. The regional summit will be attended by the Presidents of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey and Tajikistan, Vice President of Turkmenistan, Foreign Minister of China and representatives of Iran and Uzbekistan. The regional summit will discuss the possible spill-over of the conflict in Afghanistan and how to counter its effects with cooperation of Afghanistan, Ambassador said. Pakistans delegation will comprise the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Malik Ammad Khan, Secretary Foreign Affairs and high security officials, Ambassador Tariq said. President Zardari will return home on Wednesday.
