Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed solidarity with Pakistan against acts of terror perpetrated against the country that threaten peace and security in a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
During Thursday's discussions with the premier on the sidelines of a Developing-8 (D-8) summit in Cairo, Egypt, Erdogan further expressed that Ankara welcomes Pakistan's economic recovery, according to Türkiye's Communications Directorate.
Erdogan reassured Sharif that efforts would continue to enhance political and economic cooperation between the two countries as they discussed bilateral relations.
Regional issues and global developments were also on the agenda, with Erdogan reiterating Türkiye’s commitment to support the Syrian people during their "historic" transformation process following the collapse of the Bashar al Assad regime earlier this month.
Meeting with Sisi
The D-8 summit, titled “Investing in Youth and Supporting SMEs: Shaping Tomorrow's Economy," kicked off in Cairo on Thursday.
Turkish President Erdogan also met with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el Sisi on the sidelines of the D-8 summit to discuss bilateral ties, as well as regional and global issues.
Erdogan expressed that Türkiye would continue to expand cooperation with Egypt in several areas, including defence and energy, and strive to reach the target of a mutual trade volume of 15 billion dollars.
Ankara and Cairo, the region's two economic and military powerhouses, were at odds over multiple issues. But in recent years, they have worked to iron out their differences and opened a new chapter in their relations.
Their renewed cooperation efforts have significant implications for the balance of power in the Eastern Mediterranean.
During the meeting, President Erdogan also called for a lasting and sustainable ceasefire in Palestine's Gaza and expressed that the "solidarity between Türkiye and Egypt would be beneficial for the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to the region," Türkiye's Communications Directorate said in a statement.
Erdogan also met with his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, on Thursday.
The D-8 group was established in Istanbul in 1997 to strengthen economic and social relations among its member states — Türkiye, Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Iran, and Malaysia. Azerbaijan also joined the group on Thursday.
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