ISLAMABAD:,,, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar held a meeting with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on Thursday and reviewed the progress in bilateral relations especially in the domain of trade, defence and energy.

The Prime Minister welcomed the announcement of direct flight operations of Azerbaijan Airline (AZAL) to Pakistan terming it a positive development in people to-people exchanges and to advance two-way business and tourism.

Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar and President Aliyev discussed common challenges including Islamophobia and climate change and the critical role of ECO (Economic Cooperation Organization) to promote regional cooperation and collective prosperity.

Global and regional developments including the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and persistent Indian atrocities in Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) were also discussed.

Prime Minister Kakar reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, especially with respect to Karabagh.