ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif reached Turkmenistan for a two-day visit today (Friday) at the invitation of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

He was welcomed warmly at the Ashgabat airport by the vice president of Turkmenistan.

The Prime Minister will lead the country’s delegation at the first ever Global Conference on Sustainable Transport. He is undertaking the visit at the invitation of the President of Turkmenistan, who is co-hosting the Conference along with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

The conference is likely to be attended by around 1,500 participants, including heads of state and government ministers, civil society, leaders and UN officials. It will discuss promotion and role of sustainable transport towards achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Pakistan is keen to improve connectivity with Central Asian states by establishing transport and communication links, which will be conducive to tapping the potential of trade, economic interaction, people-to-people contacts and tourism, a statement by the Foreign Affairs Ministry said on Thursday.

The statement added that Pakistan and China had launched the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to provide seamless connectivity to Gwadar and Karachi ports.

During the visit, the Prime Minister will also hold a bilateral meeting with the President of Turkmenistan.

The meeting will provide a valuable opportunity to review the decisions taken during the previous two visits of the Prime Minister to Turkmenistan in 2015 and the Turkmenistan President’s visit to Pakistan in March 2016.

The two leaders will also exchange views on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest, the statement mentioned.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is also expected to brief UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Indian aggression in occupied Kashmir and the escalation of conflicts between Pakistan and India.

The prime minister will lead a delegation to the first ever Global Conference on Sustainable Transport being held at Ashgabat under the auspices of the United Nations.

The conference is co-hosted by Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and Turkmenistan and is likely to be attended by around 1500 participants, including Heads of State, Government, Ministers, private sector CEOs, civil society leaders and UN officials.

The Conference will discuss promotion and role of sustainable transport towards achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

During the visit, the Prime Minister will also hold bilateral meeting with the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, and exchange views on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest.

This will provide a valuable opportunity to review the decisions taken during two visits of the Prime Minister to Turkmenistan in 2015 and the Turkmen President’s visit to Pakistan in March 2016.

Pakistan is keen to improve connectivity with Central Asian States by establishing transport and communication links, which will be conducive to tap the potential of trade, economic interaction, people-to-people contacts and tourism.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor will provide seamless connectivity to ports at Gwadar and Karachi, and the rail and road transport corridors can be utilised by land-locked Central Asian countries to have access to Pakistan’s seaports.=DNA

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