BAKU: Azerbaijan said on Friday it is preparing for a significant expansion of economic, defense and investment cooperation with Pakistan, with a senior aide to President Ilham Aliyev telling Arab News bilateral political ties were already at a “strategic level” even as trade remains well below potential.
The remarks come as both governments intensify engagement after a series of high-level visits, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s participation in Baku’s Victory Day parade this month and President Aliyev’s state visit to Pakistan last year.
Despite consistently close political alignment — Islamabad was among the first to recognize Azerbaijan’s independence in 1991 — the economic relationship has historically lagged behind.
“We already see the steady growth in the economic and trade relations between the two countries but it’s not satisfactory,” Hikmet Hajjiyev, Head of the Foreign Policy Department at the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, told Arab News on the sidelines of the D-8 media summit.
“It’s not commensurate to the level of the political relation between the two countries, and therefore we think that both governments and private sector and business communities should do even more to increase our trade relationship.”
A key recent step, Hajjiyev revealed, was Azerbaijan’s removal of customs duties on Pakistani rice, which he said had already lowered market prices and opened space for larger import volumes.
Defense cooperation is also intensifying, Hajjiyev said as he pointed to the participation of Pakistan’s JF-17 Thunder fighter jet in Azerbaijan’s most recent Victory Day military parade, calling it “another strong indicator” of the countries’ growing strategic cooperation in the defense industry.
Investment ties are widening as well, with Azerbaijani institutions exploring opportunities in Pakistan.
“Azerbaijan is a potential investment country,” Hajjiyev said. “Our institutions are actively working with Pakistani counterparts to explore investment options.”
On the scale of future investments, he said it was “premature to discuss figures” as both government entities and the private sector continue assessing proposals:
“But investment always goes to friendly countries, and Pakistan is one of them.”
Energy is another emerging area of bilateral collaboration, with both sides examining ways to strengthen cooperation across the sector. People-to-people links have expanded in parallel, driven by a sharp increase in direct flights between major cities, the presidential aide said.
“This has strengthened humanitarian interaction and boosted tourism,” Hajjiyev said. “Daily flights have enhanced connectivity and made travel easier.”
From political dialogue and defense to trade, tourism and investments, Hajjiyev said both countries were committed to deepening what he described as a long-standing strategic partnership.
“Both countries have supported each other since Azerbaijan’s independence, and this cooperation will continue to grow,” he said.
