Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Wednesday called on Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad, according to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

He had arrived in Islamabad last night on a three-day visit, his third to Pakistan in as many years.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was also present during the meeting, the PMO said.

Earlier, Qureshi welcomed his Turkish counterpart at the Foreign Office and discussed a host of bilateral and international issues ahead of the trilateral meeting today between Pakistan, Turkey and Azerbaijan, Radio Pakistan reported.

The foreign ministers agreed to pursue a joint strategy at the international level on matters of mutual interests, a statement from the FO said.

Both Qureshi and Cavusoglu also agreed upon prompt implementation of the Pakistan-Turkey Strategic Economic Framework, the statement added.

Qureshi informed Cavusoglu that in an effort to promote bilateral trade, Pakistan had launched an e-visa facility for Turkish businessmen.

The Turkish foreign minister was quoted as having said during the meeting that Pakistan is considered a second home by the people of Turkey and suggested that joint efforts to promote bilateral trade and economic relations between the two countries would continue.

A memorandum of understanding between Pakistan and Turkey on promotion of bilateral cooperation in the field of education was also signed between federal Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood and Cavusoglu.

Qureshi also updated his Turkish counterpart on the present situation in Indian-occupied Kashmir and thanked Turkey's firm commitment to supporting Pakistan's position on the dispute, the FO statement said. The two also discussed international issues such as the rising trend of Islamophobia and agreed on joint efforts to protect Islamic values, according to the FO.

Qureshi said in a statement that he had a positive discussion on bilateral and international issues with his Turkish counterpart. He said Pakistan and Turkey were deeply cooperating in diverse fields, adding that "as people, we share a deep affinity to one another."

Radio Pakistan also reported that the Turkish foreign minister was conferred with the Hilal-i-Pakistan by President Dr Arif Alvi for his efforts in pursuit of international peace and security and strengthening of Pakistan-Turkey ties in a ceremony held at Aiwan-i-Sadr .

The Turkish foreign minister, along with two actors from the famous Turkish TV series Ertugrul, also attended an event at a Pak-Turk school.

Later in the day, Qureshi welcomed Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov to Islamabad.

"Azerbaijan is Pakistan’s long-standing friend and partner, and we work closely on matters of common interest at regional and international fora," the foreign minister said on Twitter.

He said the two countries are "bound by a relationship anchored on common historic, religious and cultural links".

During a meeting later in the day, both foreign ministers discussed relations between Pakistan and Azerbaijan, increasing cooperation in different sectors and matters of mutual interest, the FO said.

Qureshi congratulated his Azerbaijani counterpart on the country taking back control of its areas that had been under Armenian occupation. For his part, Bayramov thanked Pakistan for its support during the conflict with Armenia over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The foreign ministers also held discussions on increasing cooperation between the two countries on trade, agriculture, education, industry and technology, the FO added.

Trilateral meet

The foreign ministers of the three countries will meet for the second Pakistan-Turkey-Azerbaijan trilateral meeting. The first meeting between the three countries was held in Baku in 2017.

The foreign ministers will discuss various issues including "new and emerging threats to regional peace and security", challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change. The three sides will also discuss measures that should be taken to achieve development targets, an earlier statement by the FO had said.

Additionally, the three countries will also explore possibilities of deepening trilateral cooperation in all areas of common interest, including peace and security, trade and investment, science and technology, education and cultural cooperation, it added.