Islamabad:Pakistan and Turkiye have reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation in sectors such as agriculture, livestock, vaccine production, and value-added food exports.

According to Radio Pakistan, the commitment was expressed during a meeting between Pakistan's Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, and the Ambassador of Turkiye to Pakistan, Dr. Irfan Neziroglu, held in Islamabad.

Both sides agreed to convert the longstanding strategic partnership between Pakistan and Turkiye into practical initiatives through institutional linkages, technical collaboration, and direct engagement between relevant ministries, universities, and experts. The Minister highlighted the decision by the Prime Minister of Pakistan to seek Turkiye's technical support for developing the country's indigenous Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine production capacity.

In this regard, the Turkish Ambassador expressed Turkiye's willingness to extend technical cooperation and confirmed that a Turkish technical delegation would visit Pakistan. The meeting also covered discussions on the findings of recent exchanges between Pakistani and Turkish livestock experts, including a Pakistani delegation's visit to Turkiye to study its livestock sector. This delegation is currently preparing a report to identify practical areas for adopting relevant Turkish expertise in Pakistan.

The meeting also reviewed Turkiye's previous support through TIKA for an olive oil production facility in Muzaffarabad, benefiting around 5,000 farmers. Pakistan expressed interest in expanding similar initiatives to olive-producing areas of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chakwal, and Attock, focusing on processing, value addition, and improved market opportunities. Both parties emphasized the importance of moving towards implementation through technical teams, institutional cooperation, and targeted joint initiatives.