PM Shehbaz, Aliyev vow to boost Pakistan-Azerbaijan cooperation

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday met with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev at the Presidential Palace in Baku to discuss ways to further deepen bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors.

Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir was also present at the meeting.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the two leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of Pakistan-Azerbaijan relations and agreed to expand collaboration in political, trade and investment, energy, connectivity and defence sectors.

The prime minister thanked President Aliyev for inviting him to attend Azerbaijan’s Victory Day celebrations, commemorating the country’s historic triumph in the 44-day Karabakh Liberation War against Armenia.

Shehbaz congratulated the government and people of Azerbaijan on the occasion, noting that their victory served as a “beacon of hope” for oppressed peoples striving for self-determination, including those in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine.

He also appreciated President Aliyev for signing the peace agreement with Armenia earlier this year and invited him to visit Pakistan, which the Azerbaijani leader graciously accepted.

President Aliyev thanked Pakistan for its steadfast support during Azerbaijan’s just struggle against the illegal occupation of the Karabakh region and lauded Islamabad’s role in promoting regional stability in South Asia.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Shehbaz arrived in Baku on an official visit at the invitation of President Ilham Aliyev.

Upon arrival at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, he was warmly received by First Deputy Prime Minister Yaqub Eyyubov, First Deputy Foreign Minister Fariz Rzayev, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Qasim Mueenuddin, and members of the diplomatic staff.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar is accompanying the prime minister during the visit.

According to the Foreign Office, the prime minister will participate in events marking the fifth anniversary of Azerbaijan’s Victory Day, being commemorated in Baku.

He will also hold a bilateral meeting with President Aliyev to review the full range of Pakistan-Azerbaijan relations and identify new avenues to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, energy, defence, education, and regional connectivity.

“Pakistan and Azerbaijan enjoy long-standing fraternal relations rooted in shared faith, history, culture, and mutual trust,” the FO said in its statement.

It added that the two countries also maintain close collaboration in regional and international fora, including the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO), and the United Nations.

“The visit by the prime minister will reaffirm Pakistan’s unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two brotherly nations,” it added.