ISTANBUL – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Friday inaugurated PNS Khyber, the third of the four MILGEM corvettes for Pakistan Navy at Istanbul Shipyard.
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Mohammad Amjad Khan, federal ministers Naveed Qamar Haider, Marriyam Aurangzeb others attended the inauguration ceremony.
Earlier, first corvette for the Pakistan Navy, PNS Babar, was launched in Istanbul in August 2021 while the foundation stone for the second ship, PNS Badr, was laid in Karachi in May 2022.
The MILGEM project based on cooperation between the two countries is an important milestone in the Pakistan-Turkey strategic partnership.
As the Pakistani prime minister reached the Istanbul Shipyard to attend the ceremony, he received the Guard of Honour from the Turkish forces.
PM Shehbaz is visiting the brotherly nation on a two-day-long official visit at the invitation of the Turkish president.
According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office, the two leaders will also hold wide-ranging discussions encompassing bilateral relations, the regional situation and other issues of common interest, read the statement.
During his stay in Istanbul, the president of the ECO Trade and Development Bank (ETDB) will call on the prime minister, the FO said, adding that the PM will also interact with leaders of the Turkish business community.
