Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev Has Arrived on Two-Day Visit to Pakistan

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Pakistan on Thursday for a two-day visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Upon his arrival at Nur Khan Air Base, President Aliyev was warmly welcomed by Prime Minister Shehbaz, signaling the commencement of a visit aimed at bolstering bilateral relations between the two nations.

The Foreign Ministry's press release highlighted that during the visit, spanning from July 11 to 12, President Aliyev is scheduled to hold pivotal meetings with both President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The discussions will encompass a broad spectrum of areas of mutual interest, with an overarching goal of strengthening bilateral cooperation. It is anticipated that several agreements and memoranda of understanding will be signed during this visit, marking a significant step forward in the diplomatic ties between Azerbaijan and Pakistan.

"The visit of the President of Azerbaijan reflects the strong cooperation and dialogue at the leadership level between the two countries," the Foreign Ministry stated, underscoring the importance of the high-level interactions.

This visit follows the inaugural meeting of the Pakistan-Turkey-Azerbaijan trilateral summit, held within the framework of the SCO summit last week. During this summit, Prime Minister Shehbaz proposed the creation of trilateral institutional mechanisms, particularly in the economic and investment spheres, to further enhance economic and trade cooperation among Pakistan, Turkey, and Azerbaijan.

Prime Minister Shehbaz emphasized Pakistan's deep-seated fraternal ties with Azerbaijan and Turkey, which are rooted in "deep cultural, historical and religious ties, as well as mutual respect and support for each other on major issues." The trilateral cooperation initiative aims to leverage these shared bonds to foster robust economic partnerships and drive mutual growth.

President Aliyev's visit is poised to reinforce the already strong bilateral relations and pave the way for new avenues of cooperation, reflecting the shared commitment of both nations to work closely on matters of mutual interest and benefit.