THE warmth with which Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev was received on his arrival in Pakistan for a two day visit is not without a reason as the distinguished guest is a true friend having unreserved commitment to strengthen and diversify relations with Pakistan. As President Aliyev alighted at Nur Khan Airbase from his special aircraft, he was warmly greeted by PM Shehbaz Sharif and his cabinet members amid formal welcome ceremonies reflecting closeness of ties between the two countries.
The wide-ranging talks between the leadership of the two countries would surely pave the way for taking the bilateral relationship to new heights as per repeated resolve of the Azeri President. The visit assumed special significance after an announcement a day earlier by Pakistans Minister for Petroleum Dr. Musadik Malik, who disclosed that Azerbaijan was considering investing $2 to 3 billion in Pakistan and the Foreign Office also expected that the visit would give a boost to economic cooperation. In a related development, speaking at the inaugural Pakistan-Turkiye-Azerbaijan trilateral summit in Kazakhstan this month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif proposed the establishment of tripartite institutional mechanisms in economic and investment areas to further strengthen cooperation among the three nations.
Groundwork for this important visit was laid during visit of Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in May when he held all-encompassing discussions with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and the two sides agreed to further strengthen bilateral strategic relations and broaden the scope of cooperation in all areas of interest, including trade, investment, energy, defense, education, climate action, and regional connectivity.
All this shows the two countries, especially their leadership, has will and resolve to forge economic ties with focus on trade and investment. It is a matter of pride for Pakistan that Azerbaijan has consistently been supporting the just cause of people of Kashmir for their right to self-determination.
Azerbaijan supports peaceful resolution of the dispute based on the norms and principles of international law and relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council. This expression of solidarity with Pakistan and people of Jammu and Kashmir is not unilateral as Pakistan also unequivocally extended firm moral and political support to Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia. We hope that the immense goodwill that exists between the two countries and understanding reached during the visit will be translated into concrete projects and programmes to forge ties in diverse fields to their mutual advantage.
