Baku, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held a high-level meeting with President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, at the Presidential Palace in Baku on Friday. The meeting was also attended by Chief of the Army Staff of Pakistan, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, underscoring the depth of bilateral relations between the two brotherly nations.

During the talks, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed gratitude to President Aliyev for inviting him to attend the Victory Day celebrations of Azerbaijan, marking the nation’s historic triumph in the 44-day Karabakh Liberation War against Armenia.

Extending heartfelt felicitations to the government and people of Azerbaijan, the Prime Minister praised their courage and resilience, describing the victory as “a beacon of hope for oppressed peoples striving for self-determination, including those in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine.”

Both leaders held in-depth discussions covering the entire spectrum of Pakistan-Azerbaijan relations, reaffirming their shared commitment to expanding cooperation across key sectors including political, trade and investment, energy, connectivity, and defense.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also invited President Aliyev to visit Pakistan, an invitation the Azerbaijani leader graciously accepted.

Commending Azerbaijan’s diplomatic success, the Prime Minister lauded President Aliyev for signing the historic peace agreement with Armenia earlier this year, a step viewed as pivotal for regional peace and stability.

In response, President Ilham Aliyev expressed gratitude to Pakistan for its steadfast support during Azerbaijan’s struggle to liberate the Karabakh region, and acknowledged Pakistan’s role in promoting peace and stability in South Asia.

The meeting concluded on a note of mutual goodwill, with both leaders reaffirming their resolve to elevate the Pakistan-Azerbaijan partnership to new heights through enhanced collaboration and people-to-people engagement.