ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday arrived in Baku, Azerbaijan on a two-day official visit to discuss enhanced bilateral cooperation in areas like defense, trade and energy, the Pakistani government said.
The visit comes as part of Pakistan’s broader economic diplomacy with landlocked Central Asian states, to which it has offered access to its southern ports in Karachi and Gwadar for international trade.
Pakistan’s economic engagement with Azerbaijan has also gained momentum more recently. Last year in July, the top leaders of both countries discussed investment and trade projects worth $2 billion during Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s state visit to Pakistan.
Upon arrival at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, the Pakistan prime minister was warmly received by senior Azerbaijani officials, including First Deputy Prime Minister, Yaqub Abdulla oghlu Eyyubov, and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Qasim Mohiuddin.
“During the visit, the Prime Minister will hold high-level meetings with the President of Azerbaijan, H.E. Ilham Aliyev and other senior Azerbaijani officials,” Pakistan’s Press Information Department (PID) said in a statement.
“The discussions will focus on further strengthening bilateral relations, expanding trade and investment, enhancing cooperation in the energy sector, synergize efforts to deal with climate change, deepening defense collaboration, and fostering cultural exchanges.”
The prime minister is accompanied by Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, federal ministers Jam Kamal Khan, Abdul Aleem Khan, Chaudhry Salik Hussain and Attaullah Tarar, and his special assistant on foreign affairs, Tariq Fatemi, according to the PID.
Several agreements and memoranda of understanding are expected to be signed in multiple areas of cooperation during the visit.
“As part of his engagements, the Prime Minister and the Azerbaijani leadership will also address the Pakistan-Azerbaijan Business Forum, scheduled for Monday,” the PID said.
“The forum will bring together business leaders from both countries to explore avenues for joint ventures and trade and investment opportunities, emphasizing business-to-business (B2B) collaboration.”
Pakistan was among the first nations to recognize Azerbaijan’s independence in the early 1990s, though their ties have strengthened significantly in recent years. In September last year, Pakistan signed a contract to supply JF-17 Block III fighter jets to Azerbaijan, highlighting their deepening defense cooperation.
Beyond government-level collaboration, people-to-people exchanges between the two nations have also increased, with a growing number of Pakistanis traveling to Azerbaijan for tourism and business.
“This visit underscores the commitment of both nations to deepening their bilateral ties, enhancing economic cooperation, and fostering regional collaboration,” the PID added.
