Faisal Zahid Malik reaffirms pledge to promoting longstanding brotherly ties between two countries
Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Pakistan Khazar Farhadov has highlighted unprecedented progress in Azerbaijan-Pakistan relations during his five-year tenure from 2021 to 2026, citing major developments in political, diplomatic, defence, trade, investment, connectivity, education and cultural cooperation. The Ambassador shared these achievements during a call-on meeting with Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Pakistan Observer Faisal Zahid Malik at the latter’s office, where he reviewed the growing multidimensional partnership between the two brotherly countries.
Ambassador Farhadov said political and diplomatic engagement had gained exceptional momentum, with seven reciprocal visits by the Presidents and Prime Ministers of Azerbaijan and Pakistan. Six reciprocal visits were also held at the level of parliamentary speakers. He noted that the first official visit to Azerbaijan by Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryan Nawaz further expanded bilateral cooperation at the regional level. Two rounds of political consultations and two sessions of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission were also conducted.
Ambassador Khazar Farhadov particularly appreciated the role played by Pakistan Observer and its Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Faisal Zahid Malik in promoting closer relations between Azerbaijan and Pakistan. He acknowledged the newspaper’s consistent efforts to highlight the historical bonds, shared values and growing strategic partnership between the two countries. The Ambassador said the media had an important responsibility in bringing the people of Azerbaijan and Pakistan closer and in creating greater awareness about opportunities for cooperation in trade, investment, defence, education, tourism and culture. He appreciated Pakistan Observer for providing sustained coverage to Azerbaijan-Pakistan relations and for supporting initiatives aimed at strengthening bilateral understanding.
Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Pakistan Khazar Farhadov conferring commendation certificate upon Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Pakistan Observer Faisal Zahid Malik.
People-to-people contacts received a major boost through the launch of 11 weekly direct flights between Baku and Islamabad/Lahore after nearly three decades, he added. Pakistani visitors to Azerbaijan reached approximately 92,000 in 2025. The ASAN Service Center was also established in Islamabad, while Baku-Islamabad and Nakhchivan-Lahore signed sister-city cooperation agreements, the Ambassador maintained. Educational and cultural links expanded significantly, with Pakistani students in Azerbaijan increasing from around 100 to 2,000. He was of the view that several university, think-tank and cultural cooperation agreements were implemented, alongside the establishment of Azerbaijan-related academic and cultural centres in Pakistan.
The Ambassador also underlined stronger Azerbaijan-Pakistan-Türkiye cooperation, including three trilateral leaders’ summits in Astana, Lachin and Baku. Nearly 40 bilateral agreements, treaties and MoUs were signed during his tenure, providing an institutional framework for cooperation across diverse sectors.
Faisal Zahid Malik reaffirmed the newspaper’s commitment to promoting the longstanding brotherly relations between the two countries and said Pakistan Observer would continue playing its role in projecting the positive developments in bilateral cooperation. Following the meeting, Ambassador Farhadov presented an appreciation certificate to Faisal Zahid Malik in recognition of his contribution to strengthening Azerbaijan-Pakistan relations.
