President of Pakistan, Zardari: "We are Going to Enlarge the Partnership Picture with Turkey" His Excellency Asif Ali Zardari, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, assessed the bilateral economic relations between the two countries in a meeting organized by TEPAV.
ANKARA - His Excellency Asif Ali Zardari, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, visited Turkey at the invitation of His Excellency Abdullah Gül, President of the Republic of Turkey. President Zardari stated that the picture between Turkey and Pakistan must be enlarged now for the sake of the coming generations and in this context stressed the importance of the Istanbul-Islamabad Railway Project.
President Zardari participated with a delegation in a roundtable meeting with the theme "Pakistan-Turkey Relations in the Changing Global Scenario" organized by TEPAV on Friday, April 14, 2011. He spoke about the political and economic dialogue between the two countries as well as the recent developments in the region and in Afghanistan.
We have the gateway for Turkey
Zardari touched upon the deep friendship between Turkey and Pakistan and expressed his belief that the positive outlook of relations between the two countries would continue. Pointing at the recent rise in Asian markets, President Zardari, upon a question on the economic vision of Turkey and Pakistan, stated that the living standards of the Pakistani people have improved and that they called on Turkey to develop new joint projects. Maintaining that democracy and potential sources were Pakistan's advantages, Zardari said, "Tomorrow is ours. We have the gateway for Turkey. Turkey is on the door step. With the help of modern technology we should transfer our potential to the world. Turkey and Pakistan are strategic partners and they can offer so much to the world."
Dialogue is essential in this process
Concerning the recent turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa, Zardari referred to Benazir Bhutto, former President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and his now deceased spouse, in terms of her attitude towards promoting dialogue, and stressed that the Muslim world must focus on increasing dialogue in this process of change. Upon a question regarding the impact of the war in Afghanistan on Pakistan, Zardari emphasized the importance of dialogue within the international community.
The meeting, which was open to a limited number of guests, hosted representatives from the diplomatic and business communities, and the media and think-tanks.
