ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Azerbaijan have agreed to expand cooperation across trade, energy, connectivity and defence sectors, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on Friday, the PM Office said.
Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir also attended the meeting, reflecting the strategic nature of the discussions.
During the talks at the Presidential Palace, the prime minister thanked President Aliyev for inviting him to attend Azerbaijan’s Victory Day celebrations.
He congratulated the government and people of Azerbaijan on the commemoration, marking the country’s military success in the 44-day Karabakh conflict.
The prime minister said Azerbaijan’s victory “serves as a beacon of hope for oppressed peoples seeking their right to self-determination, including the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine.”
The two leaders reviewed bilateral ties and agreed to reinforce what both sides described as a “multi-layered partnership,” the statement added.
Areas identified for strengthened cooperation included political engagement, trade and investments, energy collaboration, regional connectivity, and defense exchanges.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif invited President Aliyev to visit Pakistan at his earliest convenience, an invitation the Azri president accepted, according to the statement.
PM Sharif also commended the peace agreement signed earlier this year between Azerbaijan and Armenia, noting its significance for regional stability. President Aliyev thanked Pakistan for its “consistent and principled support” during Azerbaijan’s struggle over the Karabakh region and acknowledged Pakistan’s role in promoting regional peace.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was received at Heydar Aliyev International Airport by First Deputy Prime Minister Yaqub Abdulla Oglu Eyyubev.
