Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir has emphasized the need for enhanced cooperation between Pakistan and Azerbaijan in the fields of defence and training. During an official visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan, he appreciated the high morale and remarkable standard of operational readiness of Azerbaijani Armed Forces. Political and military leadership of Azerbaijan acknowledged continued support of Pakistan and vowed to enhance mutual cooperation between the two states and their Armed Forces to a new level.
Pakistan and Azerbaijan have multi-faced cooperation covering economic, defence, political and diplomatic relations. There is enormous goodwill on both sides that has played a crucial role in strengthening and diversifying mutual cooperation ever since Azerbaijan secured independence after the collapse of the then Soviet Union. Pakistan was the second country after Turkiye to recognize Azerbaijan as an independent country. The two countries have steadfastly been supporting each other at regional and international forums and this is exemplified by the unrelenting support that Pakistan offered to Azerbaijan on the issue of Nagorno Karabakh and Baku’s steadfast position on the Kashmir dispute. Military and defence cooperation between Azerbaijan-Pakistan is signified by continuous dialogue in the form of high-level meetings, working groups and other similar interactions between the respective bodies and institutions of both states. As Azerbaijan and Pakistan hold relatively similar weaponry and military vehicle systems, it is, therefore, logical that military cooperation should also include regular military exercises between the comparable services of both armed forces besides possibility of initiating joint ventures in defence production to meet requirements of the two armed forces. Strategists point out that exchange of valuable strategic information as well as common approaches towards the territorial armed conflict postures can be a natural extension in improving bilateral relations in defence. Political commitment is there but this needs to be translated into practical actions to bolster economic ties and defence cooperation.
