Pakistan and Azerbaijan have agreed to further enhance bilateral trade, investment and to develop joint investment projects in the areas of energy, infrastructure, connectivity, and defence industry.

This understanding was reached during a two-day state visit of Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev that concluded today.

The Prime Minister stated that following the conclusion of the Preferential Trade Agreement and Transit Trade Agreement, among other agreements and protocols, the two countries have shown their intent to boost bilateral trade at a rapid pace.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Ilham Aliyev reaffirmed the strategic partnership between Pakistan and Azerbaijan. They expressed satisfaction at the close security and defence cooperation between the two countries and termed the Trilateral Summit Level mechanism among Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Trkiye as the dawn of a new era in relations between the three countries.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the level of cooperation between the two countries at multilateral fora, especially the United Nations and OIC.

President Ilham Aliyev reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s principled stance on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and the right of self-determination of the Kashmiri people as enshrined in relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

During the visit, fifteen agreements and MOUs of cooperation were signed in the fields of consular affairs, privatization, transit and preferential trade, legal collaboration, mineral resources, cultural exchange and literature, information and communication technology, broadcasting, scientific and technical cooperation, tourism, air services, city twinning and small and medium enterprise development.

Besides, holding meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Ilham Aliyev also met President Asif Ali Zardari. The two sides discussed all areas of mutual interest and bilateral cooperation and expressed a desire to further strengthen bilateral cooperation across the entire range of bilateral relations. It is pertinent to mention that the Azeri President paid the visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.

The President’s delegation included Ministers for Defence, Defence Industry, Economy, Digital Development and Transport, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Prime Minister of Pakistan received the visiting dignitary and his delegation and accorded a warm welcome.

A guard of honour was presented to him on arrival at the Prime Minister’s House. The President of Azerbaijan laid a wreath at the National Monument.