ISLAMABAD: Azerbaijan Minister of the Economy Mikayil Jabbarov will visit Pakistan next week to finalize key investment agreements between the two countries, the Pakistan prime minister’s office said on Sunday.
The statement came after Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif’s telephonic conversation with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr, in which he conveyed his greetings and warm wishes to the brotherly people of Azerbaijan.
The two leaders reaffirmed their resolve to further strengthen the deep-rooted fraternal ties between the two countries and build upon the Sharif’s visit to Baku last month, according to the Pakistan premier’s office.
“The two leaders agreed that the Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan would visit Islamabad in the first week of April to hold discussions with the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister and also pay a courtesy call on the Prime Minister,” Sharif’s office said.
“This visit would ensure finalization of the key investment agreements between both sides thus setting the stage for President Ilham Aliyev’s expected visit to Islamabad in the month of April.”
During his visit to Baku in Feb., Sharif had announced the two nations would sign deals in April to boost bilateral investments to $2 billion. Multiple agreements for cooperation in the trade, energy, tourism, education and other sectors were also signed during the visit.
The developments come as cash-strapped Pakistan navigates a tricky path to economic recovery under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program. The South Asian country has been making efforts to generate revenue through increased trade and investment deals with friendly nations and regional and international allies, focusing on export-led growth.
In September last year, Azerbaijan bought JF-17 Block III fighter jets from Pakistan, reportedly in a $1.6bn deal.
During President Aliyev’s visit to Pakistan last year, a joint committee was set up to materialize projects in trade, commerce, information technology, tourism, telecommunication, mineral resources and other sectors. Sharif said at the time the current trade volume of $100 million did not reflect the “true” trade potential between the two countries.
Azerbaijan economy minister to visit Pakistan next week to finalize key investment deals
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Azerbaijan economy minister to visit Pakistan next week to finalize key investment deals
- Cash-strapped Pakistan is currently navigating a tricky path to recovery under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund bailout program
- The South Asian country has been making efforts to generate revenue through increased trade and investment deals with friendly nations
Pakistan lauds female polio workers as push to end virus intensifies
- Acknowledgement comes as Pakistan marks annual campaign promoting women’s rights and safety
- Ayesha Raza Farooq says the real strength of the polio program is its female workers and their bravery
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top polio official on Tuesday praised the country’s female vaccination workers for their “extraordinary contribution” to the eradication drive, saying their efforts were central to ending the virus as Pakistan marked the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, an annual campaign to promote women’s rights and safety.
Female health workers administer the majority of polio drops in Pakistan, going door to door in remote, high-risk and conservative communities where women are best positioned to gain access to children.
Pakistan is one of only two countries in the world, alongside neighboring Afghanistan, where wild poliovirus remains endemic. The country has so far reported 30 cases this year.
“What you do is extraordinary, and your courage in all circumstances is the reason Pakistan will soon be polio-free,” said Ayesha Raza Farooq, the prime minister’s focal person on polio eradication, during a meeting with frontline workers in Islamabad.
“Pakistan’s real strength in this program is its female polio workers,” she added.
Farooq said she had listened to the concerns of field teams and assured them of full government support.
She maintained that female vaccinators had shown “remarkable bravery” despite difficult terrain, security concerns and community resistance in some areas.
In October, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) named Farooq Pakistan’s first gender champion for her leadership in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment in public health and in the eradication effort.
Pakistan is scheduled to kick off the last nationwide anti-polio vaccination drive of 2025, according to the National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC), with an aim to inoculate 45 million children.
The NEOC has also urged parents to coordinate with health workers during the campaign.
