Turkmenistan’s FM arrives in Pakistan today on 3-day visit

Turkmenistan Foreign Minister Rasit Meredow is to arrive today in Islamabad, the Pakistan Capital on a 3 days visit to discuss trade plans with the Shehbaz Sharif government. Pakistan is trying to make itself a transit hub for central asian nations that are landlocked in nature.

The Pak government hopes to leverage its strategic geopolitical position and enhance its role as a pivotal trade and transit hub connecting the central asian republics with the rest of the world. This will make it quite an important junction and is a good source of earning some revenue. 

In the recent months, there have been frequent meetings being held between Pakistan’s top brass and the central asian countries counterparts in terms of investment and economic plans. Countries like Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan have already held talks and discussed the required terms with the Pak government.

Similar to this, FM Meredow of Turkmenistan is scheduled to land in Islamabad to have extensive talks with his Pak counterpart and Deputy PM, Ishaq Dar on the Pakistan leadership plans. 

A report said, “Talks between the two sides will cover all aspects of bilateral relations. They will also exchange views on regional and global developments.”

Being geographically landlocked, the Central Asian nations comprising Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan made up the age-old Silk Route and are packed by resources and minerals. These countries need a route to engage in trade with the other nations like China, India, and countries of West Asia preferably through the sea and land routes accessible by Pakistan.

Islamabad is seeking to boost trade and investment relations with its allies to stabilise its fragile $350 billion economy as it faces an economic deficit among a soaring inflation rate and huge external debt. Pakistan is eying a way out in terms of connecting these landlocked countries with globalised economies like China by taking the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project, under which the Xi Jinping led government has already invested around $65 billion in energy, infrastructure and other projects.