Brothers in arms: PM Shehbaz addresses Pakistan-Turkiye-Azerbaijan Trilateral Summit

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that Turkiye and Azerbaijan were “Pakistan’s brothers in arms who had stood by the country as “impregnable rocks” and were trusted “without second thoughts”.

He said this in his address to Pakistan-Turkiye-Azerbaijan Trilateral Summit, alongside presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ilham Aliyev.

Addressing Azerbaijan president, the PM thanked him for the hospitality shown to him and his delegation, noting that today’s summit “reflects the meeting of hearts and souls of genuine friends and sincere well-wishers”.

The premier further said that we are now eagerly looking forward to taking our trilateral partnership to new heights that “would be in consonance with the wishes and desires of our people”.

PM Shehbaz, President Aliyev reaffirm strategic ties in Lachin meeting

“This would be no surprise to anyone as Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Turkiye are bound together by deep historical, cultural and spiritual ties forged through centuries of shared values and mutual support.”

“This historical relationship has been further strengthened as we have stood by each other, whether it be on Karabakh, Kashmir or northern Turkish Cyprus. Our strength lies in our solidarity and mutual respect,” the PM said.

Addressing Erdogan, PM Shehbaz felicitated the Turkish president for “very skillfully resolving the issue” of the PKK, referring to the Kurdish rebels’ recent decision to disband.

“That goes to explain in volumes, my brother, your diplomatic skills to resolve this issue and by virtue of this, you have earned a high place and influence not only in the region, but beyond.”

Referring to the recent conflict with India, PM Shehbaz said, “We could not but be mesmerised by the intensity of the fervour and enthusiasm of our common citizens during Pakistan’s recent conflict with India.”

He noted that India “not only failed to bring any credible evidence against Pakistan but also rejected our sincere and generous offer of a neutral, transparent investigation into the so-called incident in Pahalgam by any international body”.

“The world we live in faces numerous grave challenges, including armed conflict, climate change, diseases and economic crises. This is why the three of us have assembled here today, opting for compassion while rejecting conflict. We are confident that patience and wisdom will ultimately usher in peace and prosperity.