Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit Turkmenistan on 12 December to participate in a forum dedicated to the International Year of Peace and Trust. This was announced by Faryal Leghari, Pakistan's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Turkmenistan, in an article for the newspaper ‘Neutral Turkmenistan’, according to the news website Turkmenportal.

The Head of the diplomatic mission noted that the visit reflects Islamabad's respect for the leadership of Turkmenistan. According to her, bilateral relations are based on economic and energy interests, including the TAPI and TAP projects, which bring the countries closer together in the energy sector.

The diplomat stressed that Pakistan values Turkmenistan's strategic resources and its role in regional energy policy. As part of the ‘Vision for Central Asia’ initiative, Islamabad has proposed developing new trade and transport routes through the ports of Karachi and Gwadar.