Azerbaijan-Pakistan relations witnessed unprecedented growth from 2021 to 2026, with significant progress in political, diplomatic, defence, trade, investment, connectivity, education and cultural cooperation.
Speaking during a meeting with Pakistan Observer Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Faisal Zahid Malik, Azerbaijan Ambassador Khazar Farhadov highlighted the rapid expansion of bilateral ties during his five-year tenure.
Farhadov said the presidents and prime ministers of the two countries exchanged seven reciprocal visits, while six reciprocal visits took place at the level of parliamentary speakers.
The first official visit by a Pakistani provincial chief minister to Azerbaijan also marked a new phase of regional cooperation. Two rounds of political consultations and two sessions of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission were also held, while nearly 40 bilateral agreements, treaties and MoUs were signed to strengthen cooperation across various sectors.
Farhadov said people-to-people contacts had grown substantially following the launch of 11 weekly direct flights between Baku and Islamabad/Lahore after nearly three decades. Around 92,000 Pakistanis visited Azerbaijan in 2025.
He also pointed to the establishment of an ASAN Service Center in Islamabad and sister-city agreements between Baku-Islamabad and Nakhchivan-Lahore.
Educational exchanges expanded significantly, with Pakistani students in Azerbaijan increasing from around 100 to nearly 2,000. Several university, think-tank and cultural cooperation agreements were also implemented.
The ambassador highlighted stronger Azerbaijan-Pakistan-Türkiye cooperation, including three trilateral leaders’ summits in Astana, Lachin and Baku. He praised Pakistan Observer and Faisal Zahid Malik for consistently promoting bilateral ties and raising public awareness of opportunities for cooperation.
Faisal Zahid Malik reaffirmed the newspaper’s commitment to strengthening the longstanding fraternal relationship between Pakistan and Azerbaijan. At the conclusion of the meeting, Farhadov presented Malik with an appreciation certificate in recognition of his contribution to strengthening bilateral relations.
