ANKARA, Feb 23 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildrim co-chaired the 5th meeting of the High Level Strategic Cooperation Council here on Thursday.
Six Joint Working Groups (JWGs) operating under the HLSCC met prior to the main session. The reports on their deliberations and outcomes presented during the HLSCC.
These JWGs relate to: Trade and Investment; Energy; Finance and Banking; Transport and Communications; Culture and Tourism; and Education.
Based on the reports of the JWGs, the decisions taken by the co-chairs will be reflected in the Joint Declaration.
The HLSCC, established during the visit of the then Prime Minister Erdo?an to Pakistan in October 2009, is the highest level institutional mechanism between Pakistan and Turkey. Initially established as HLCC (High Level Cooperation Council), the mechanism was elevated to the ‘strategic’ level in 2013 and re-titled as HLSCC (High Level Strategic Cooperation Council).
The purpose of establishing HLSCC was to fully explore and build upon shared interests, maximize cooperation on mutual priorities, and reinforce the already profound and unique relationship between the two countries in a structured manner.
In essence, the HLSCC works as a joint cabinet meeting co-chaired by the two prime ministers.
So far, four meetings of the HLSCC have been held, alternately in Ankara and Islamabad (December 2010; May 2012; September 2013; and February 2015).
From the Pakistan side, Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has co-chaired two meetings (September 2013 and February 2015).
APP/Hamza/mka
