Pakistan and Azerbaijan have agreed to broaden their cooperation in trade, commerce, security, and energy sectors.
The two countries announced plans to sign agreements worth $2 billion in April, aiming to enhance bilateral ties across multiple areas.
During a joint press conference, visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev expressed their commitment to leveraging “immense” opportunities for collaboration in trade, regional communication, and forums.
Sharif, who arrived in Baku on a two-day official visit accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and other senior officials, highlighted that these agreements would cover diverse sectors, including trade, defense, energy, climate change, tourism, culture, and education.
The two sides also signed several memoranda of understanding (MoUs) aimed at bolstering bilateral cooperation.
The agreements totaling $2 billion will be formally signed in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, in April 2025.
Prime Minister Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast support for Azerbaijan on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and thanked Azerbaijan for its backing of Pakistan’s position on the Kashmir dispute.
He also called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and emphasized the need for the establishment of an independent Palestine state with Jerusalem as its capital.
Azerbaijani President Aliyev underscored that strengthening economic and trade relations with Pakistan is an integral part of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy.
He also noted that the three allies, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan, maintain a joint stance on many regional and international matters.
Sharif is also expected to attend a business forum organized in collaboration with the Export and Investment Promotion Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, further promoting investment and trade opportunities between the two nations.
The two leaders are set to hold extensive discussions on various mutual interests, focusing on strengthening ties in energy, defense, education, and climate change during this visit.
