ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Turkiye have pledged to enhance their collaboration in various sectors, including agriculture, livestock, and vaccine production. The commitment was made during a meeting between Pakistan’s Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, and Turkiye’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr. Irfan Neziroglu.

According to Radio Pakistan, the discussions aimed to translate the longstanding strategic partnership between the two countries into practical initiatives. This would be achieved through institutional linkages, technical collaboration, and direct engagement between relevant ministries, universities, and experts. Minister Hussain highlighted the Prime Minister’s decision to seek Turkiye’s technical support to develop Pakistan’s capacity for producing an indigenous Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine.

The Turkish Ambassador expressed his country’s willingness to provide technical cooperation, confirming that a Turkish delegation would visit Pakistan to further this effort. The meeting also covered findings from exchanges between Pakistani and Turkish livestock experts, including a visit by a Pakistani delegation to study Turkiye’s livestock sector. The delegation is preparing a report to identify practical areas where Turkish expertise can be adopted in Pakistan.

The session reviewed Turkiye’s previous support through TIKA for an olive oil production facility in Muzaffarabad, which has reportedly benefited 5,000 farmers. Pakistan expressed interest in expanding similar initiatives to other olive-producing regions, focusing on processing, value addition, and market opportunities. Both nations emphasized the importance of moving toward implementation through technical teams, institutional cooperation, and joint initiatives.