Pakistan and Azerbaijan have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in various areas, including energy, trade, and defense during a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on June 15.
President Aliyev welcomed Prime Minister Shehbaz and his delegation and expressed his desire to boost bilateral relations, improve regional development, and address mutual security concerns. During the talks, the two leaders expressed their commitment to enhancing defense collaboration and increasing military exercises. They also discussed potential collaboration in energy, investment, and education.
“We agreed that several delegations from Azerbaijan would now travel to Pakistan. One will be a matter of trade and investment, the next delegation will be dealing with the energy issue and the third will consider cooperation in the defense industry,” President Aliyev said.
Bizim irəliyə getməyimizlə bağlı tam aydın təsəvvürümüz var. pic.twitter.com/OLc7X5t3Vs
— İlham Əliyev (@azpresident) June 15, 2023
Energy and Trade Cooperation
Energy cooperation was one of the highlights of the meeting, with PM Shehbaz Sharif noting Pakistan’s dependence on expensive imported fuels and expressing the government’s commitment to replacing them with solar energy.
Highlighting the strong and longstanding ties between the two countries, PM Shehbaz stressed the need for enhanced trade, investment, and visits to reflect the depth of the relationship. The prime minister also highlighted the trade opportunities offered by the Gwadar Port. He appreciated Azerbaijan’s decision to abolish duties on Pakistani rice, facilitating its export.
Pakistan to purchase LNG from Azerbaijan
Meanwhile, the federal cabinet of Pakistan has approved the agreement to procure liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo from Azerbaijan at discounted rates. Under the agreement, Pakistan will receive one LNG cargo on concessional rates per month from next month. The Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) will collaborate at the government-to-government level to work out the energy resources, according to the PM Office.
During the meeting, the two leaders agreed that Baku would help Islamabad fulfill its energy needs through cooperation in the fields of oil and gas. Azerbaijan also decided to invest in the alternative energy sector of Pakistan including solar power generation.
Tourism and Education
The Pakistan prime minister welcomed Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) to start operations in Islamabad and invited Azerbaijan’s aviation minister to explore Baku-Karachi flights to boost bilateral tourism.
Alhamdolillah, official visit of Prime Minister @CMShehbaz to Baku has concluded with many tangible outcomes. Decisions include early operationalization of PTA, signing of SoU to enhance bilateral trade, start of AZAL flights to Islamabad & other Pk destinations, pic.twitter.com/zXcg3WIxh6
— Bilal Hayee (@BilalHayee) June 15, 2023
Education was another key area for cooperation, with President Aliyev noting a significant increase number of Pakistani students studying in Azerbaijan’s universities over the past year. He expressed hope for continued educational exchanges.
Kashmir and Karabakh
The prime minister thanked Azerbaijan for its support of Kashmiris’ rights and condemned India’s human rights violations in the occupied valley. He assured President Aliyev of Pakistan’s commitment to Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and praised the bravery of Azerbaijan’s forces.
Meanwhile, President Aliyev thanked the Pakistani people and leadership for their continued support during the Second Karabakh War (Patriotic War). “We are grateful to Pakistan for supporting Azerbaijan during the occupation and strongly supporting us during the 44-day Patriotic War.”
President Aliyev emphasized the importance of military capacity in ensuring independence and territorial integrity, citing Azerbaijan’s liberation of the Karabakh region through military action.
Pakistan-Azerbaijan strong cultural ties
Pakistani prime minister said that he was surprised to see flags of Pakistan throughout Baku and said that this affection was mutually shared by the people of Pakistan.
Stressing the deep-rooted connections, President Aliyev said: “You can see in many parts of Baku Pakistani flags. They have been installed here during the times of the Second Karabakh War. The war ended two and a half years ago, but here Pakistani flags are still waving. It is the attitude of our people and we see the same attitude from the People of Pakistan.” He also expressed gratitude to Pakistan for its unwavering support during the 2020 war with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh.