LACHIN, Azerbaijan: Pakistan and Azerbaijan on Tuesday reaffirmed their shared commitment to diversifying the strategic partnership through investment in mutually beneficial avenues.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, during a bilateral meeting in the city of Lachin, underscored the importance of coordinated efforts to promote regional stability, mutual prosperity and principled positions on key international issues.
The meeting took place on the eve of the trilateral meeting of Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Türkiye that would take place on Azerbaijan’s Independence Day, adding a symbolic dimension to the exchange between the two leaders. The prime minister conveyed warm felicitations to President Aliyev and the people of Azerbaijan on this important national occasion.
The prime minister emphasized that people of both countries enjoy an eternal bond of friendship.
The prime minister thanked Azerbaijan for its steadfast support during the recent Pakistan-India confrontation, in the face of Indian provocation, and acknowledged the public expressions of solidarity from both the leadership and the people of brotherly Azerbaijan. He said that people of Azerbaijan celebrated the success of Pakistan in Marka-e-Haq against India.
During the meeting, the two leaders reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction over the upward trajectory of political, economic, defence and cultural cooperation between Pakistan and Azerbaijan. They reaffirmed their shared commitment to diversifying the strategic partnership through investment in mutually beneficial avenues. The prime minister reiterated that both the countries had stood by each other on every occasion and would continue to do so.
The Azerbaijan side agreed to exchange of delegations with regard to progress in investment of Azerbaijan in Pakistan. In this regard, delegation-level talks would be organised soon. The meeting concluded with both leaders reaffirming their commitment to the deepening of the Pakistan-Azerbaijan partnership and working closely to further advance shared objectives at the bilateral and regional levels.
Earlier, the prime minister arrived in Lachin where he was received by Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Qasim Mohiuddin and other diplomatic staff at the airport, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
The prime minister along with Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev will participate in the Trilateral Summit.
Earlier, during the visit to Iran on Tuesday, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir visited the General Staff Headquarters, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
The COAS held a meeting with Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, said an ISPR news release.
The two military leaders engaged in discussions on the evolving regional security landscape, with a particular focus on strengthening bilateral defence ties.
Key areas of mutual interest included enhancing military-to-military cooperation, improving security mechanisms along the shared border, and exploring avenues for transforming the border regions into zones of trade and economic connectivity, thereby contributing to regional stability and prosperity.
Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir was accorded a warm welcome upon his arrival, including a ceremonial guard of honour presented by a well-turned-out contingent of the Iranian armed forces. The COAS, alongside the prime minister of Pakistan, earlier met with Ayatollah Syed Ali Hosseini Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran, and Masoud Pezeshkian, President of Iran.
Field Marshal Asim Munir is on an official visit to Türkiye, Iran and Azerbaijan along with the prime minister’s delegation visiting the three friendly countries.