ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Armenia on Sunday formalized diplomatic relations with an exchange of a joint communique between the two sides in China, the Pakistani foreign office said, with both sides discussing cooperation in economy, tourism and other sectors.

Pakistan and Armenia did not have diplomatic ties mainly due to the rivalry between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed Karabakh region, with Islamabad consistently backing Baku.

This month, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephonic conversation with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan, during which they agreed to consider establishing Islamabad-Yerevan diplomatic ties.

The phone call followed US President Donald Trump announcement that Armenia and Azerbaijan had committed to lasting peace after decades of conflict as he hosted the leaders of the South Caucasus rivals at a White House signing event.

“The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, today formally exchanged a Joint Communiqué with the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Mr. Ararat Mirzoyan, thereby establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries,” the Pakistani foreign office said on Sunday, following their meeting on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China’s Tianjin.

“Marking a historic step forward, both the leaders affirmed their commitment to the principles and objectives of United Nations Charter and discussed possible avenues of cooperation including economy, education, culture, and tourism.”

The development comes as Pakistan, which is slowly recovering from a macroeconomic crisis under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan, looks to capitalize on its geostrategic location to boost regional trade and tourism for a sustainable recovery.

The two leaders reaffirmed their desire to work closely with each other at bilateral and multilateral fora, to achieve their shared objectives of peace, progress, and prosperity for the peoples of their two countries, according to the Pakistani foreign office said.

Christian-majority Armenia and Muslim-majority Azerbaijan feuded for decades over their border and the status of ethnic enclaves within each other’s territories. The nations went to war twice over the disputed Karabakh region, which Azerbaijan recaptured from Armenian forces in a lightning 2023 offensive, sparking the exodus of more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians.

Islamabad had welcomed the peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, hoping that it would open new avenues for trade and regional connectivity.

“This landmark development marks the dawn of a new era of peace, stability, and cooperation in the South Caucasus, a region that has endured decades of conflict and human suffering,” Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on August 9.

“It is our hope that this spirit of dialogue will serve as an example for other regions facing protracted conflicts.”