Zardari arrives in Ankara for 7th Trilateral Summit

ANKARA: President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Ankara on Tuesday on a three-day official visit to Turkey to attend the 7th Trilateral Summit of Afghanistan-Pakistan and Turkey along with President Hamid Karzai and President Abdullah Gul.

Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar, Foreign Minister, Arbab Alamgir, Minister for Communication, Imtiaz Safdar Warraich, Minister of State for Interior, Hamid Yar Hiraj, Minister of State and Chairman ERRA, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Zaheer-ul-Islam, DG, ISI, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Foreign Secretary, Muhammad Arif Azeem, Secretary Railways, Khawaja Muhammad Siddique Akbar, Interior Secretary and Maj. Gen. Azeem Asif, Deputy Chairman ERRA are included in President’s entourage.

The Trilateral Ankara Summit provides a comprehensive platform for promoting high level political dialogue, security cooperation and economic development partnership among the three brotherly countries for bringing peace, stability and development in Afghanistan and the entire region.President Zardari during his stay in Turkey, besides attending the Summit will also hold bilateral meetings with Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and a joint meeting of the three Presidents with the Turkish Prime Minister.

The President tonight will also attend the welcome dinner hosted by Turkish President Abdullah Gul for him and his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai.Earlier, upon arrival at the Ankara International Airport, the President was received by high ranking officials of the foreign office of Turkey while Burhan Kayaturk, Chairman Pak-Turkey Parliamentary Friendship Group and ambassadors of the two countries were also present.Pakistan’s ambassador to Turkey Muhammad Haroon Shaukat and senior officials of foreign office and Pakistan’s embassy in Turkey were also present to welcome the President at the airport. – APP