President Ashraf Ghani has met his counterpart, president Receb Tayyip Erdogan, in Turkey on the sidelines of the summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and discussed regional issues, Ghani’s office said in a statement.

At the meeting, Erdogan reaffirmed the continuation of Turkey’s support and partnership with Afghanistan and stressed the need to strengthen ties, according to the statement.

Ghani and Erdogan also talked about the Heart of Asia Istanbul Process and its importance for regional peace and stability.

Both leaders affirmed that the strategic cooperation among regional countries and connectivity is key to boosting the economy. They agreed that the Lapis-Lazuli Transit Trade and Transport Route was an achievement that aims at enhancing economic cooperation and connectivity in the region.

The statement did not provide further details.

Ghani returned to Kabul early Thursday after participating and delivering a speech at the OIC summit.