THE national air carrier of Azerbaijan will launch regular flights to Pakistan from September 20, 2023, as part of the understanding between the two countries to promote their bilateral ties in different spheres of life.
The flights will operate to the capital Islamabad as well as to the largest cities of Karachi and Lahore to meet the growing demand for travel between Pakistan and the Eurasian country.
An understanding to start direct flights between the two brotherly countries was reached during the visit of former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Azerbaijan in June 2023 and its practical implementation on a fast-track basis is a reflection of the oft-repeated commitment of President Ilham Aliyev to bolster all-round ties with Pakistan.
On that occasion, the two leaders had agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in the fields of energy, trade, and aviation sectors to reflect the decades-old strong relationship between the two countries. Credit for the initiation of concrete measures to boost bilateral ties also goes to the vibrant ambassador of Azerbaijan to Pakistan Khazar Farhadov, who is a strong advocate of forging closer economic cooperation between Islamabad and Baku.
This was all done on the instructions of the President of Azerbaijan, including an exemption of customs duty for rice imported from Pakistan. The willingness of Azerbaijan to cement ties with Pakistan in different spheres of life offers immense potential for both the public and private sectors of the two countries to take the relationship to new heights.
In fact, there is great potential for mutually beneficial cooperation in the realms of agriculture, trade, IT, banking, tourism, transport, energy, and health.
