Istanbul, July 04 (QNA) - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkiye and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan underscored the importance of reinforcing cooperation and efforts to deepen security and stability in the region.

Following their joint press conference after bilateral meetings and broader discussions held in Istanbul on Saturday, Erdogan said Turkiye would continue to work with brotherly nations, with Pakistan taking the lead, to strengthen security, stability, and welfare in the region.

The talks addressed a variety of bilateral issues, as well as regional and international matters, Erdogan noted, underlining that Turkiye is willing to expand cooperation with Pakistan in the fields of energy, transportation, critical minerals, and information technology.

Erdogan further stressed that his country backs de-escalation efforts and dispute resolution through dialogue, emphasizing that regional solutions should start from countries of the region per se to ensure their perpetuation and effectiveness.

Touching on the evolving situation in the Middle East, Erdogan considered the Israeli offensives on the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Syria as posing a threat to the stability in the region.

In addition, Erdogan said that the incumbent Israeli government, which is addicted to wars, shouldn’t be allowed to have the region mired in a tinderbox of tension and blood once again.

The Israeli occupation, which links its political existence to the persistent conflicts in the region, doesn’t allow Lebanon and Syria to live in peace, Erdogan stressed.

He recalled that Israeli forces continue their unlawful and inhumane attacks on defenseless Palestinians in Gaza.

  For his part, Sharif asserted that Turkish support has helped Pakistan play a mediation role in efforts that had culminated in reaching an agreement between the United States and Iran, describing that mission as an extremely uphill task.

Sharif further noted that Pakistan is committed to deepening and expanding bilateral relations with Turkiye in multiple fields. He added that both nations have a long-standing solidarity in standing side by side during intractable times. (QNA)