Pakistan and Azerbaijan discuss prospects for the development of military cooperation
Pakistan and Azerbaijan Air Forces Commanders agreed to further expand their operational and technical cooperation during the recent highest-level interaction in Baku.
Azerbaijan’s Deputy Minister of Defense Commander of the Air Force, Lieutenant General Ramiz Tahirov met with a delegation led by Chief of the Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, who was on an official visit to Azerbaijan during June 29-30.
Azerbaijan news agency AZERTAC quoted Ministry of Defense sources as saying that Lieutenant General Ramiz Tahirov emphasized that the “development of cooperation between the two countries in the field of aviation has made an important contribution to further strengthening the combat capability of both countries’ armies.”
PAF Air Chief Zaheer Baber noted that “the training of Azerbaijani pilots at the Pakistan Air Force Academy, as well as the training of PAF helicopter crews in Azerbaijani aviation training are a clear example of successful cooperation between the two countries in the field of military aviation.”
Reports from Azerbaijan confirmed that the two delegations also exchanged views on the prospects for the development of cooperation between the Azerbaijani and Pakistani Air Forces, and explored ‘issues of mutual interest’.
On June 29, the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, also met with the delegation led by the PAF Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu.
Welcoming the PAF delegation, Azerbaijan Defense Minister also stressed that “there is traditional friendship and mutual trust between our peoples as well as Azerbaijani-Pakistani relations and strategic partnership is developing.”
Expressing gratitude for the warm reception, the Commander of the Air Force of Pakistan emphasized that there are historically friendly ties between the peoples of the two countries.
Both sides realized that Azerbaijani-Pakistani relations have expanded in various directions and strengthened significantly and noted that “there is a great potential for bilateral military cooperation.”
The sides discussed further expansion of relations between Azerbaijan and Pakistan in the military, military-technical, and military-educational spheres.
Recently Azerbaijan Ambassador Khazar Farhadov commended the professionalism of PAF and acknowledged its fast-growing indigenous capacity in the aviation industry. While receiving Azerbaijan Ambassador at PAF HQ, Air Chief Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu noted that Pakistan and Azerbaijan had long-standing religious, cultural and historical bonds which manifested through strong ties between the Air Forces of the two countries.