BAKU, Azerbaijan: “Pakistan stands with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh issue”, said ambassador of Pakistan to Azerbaijan Saeed Khan Mohmand.
In an exclusive interview with the Chief Editor Dispatch News Desk (DND) new agency Agha Iqrar Haroon here in Baku on Tuesday, the ambassador was of the view that relationship between Azerbaijan and Pakistan was weather tested and both the brotherly states stood with each other in the past whenever there was a need to show solidarity for each other.
Dr Saeed said Nagorno-Karabakh issue had several similarities with Kashmir issue and peaceful resolution of both the issues needed attention of the international forums.
In reply to a question, the envoy said Pakistan-Azerbaijan bilateral trade currently stood over US$8 million per year but there was a huge potential to increase it and businessmen of both the Countries were keen now to enhance trade to S$500 million in next five years.
The envoy informed that several trade delegations from Pakistan were expected to reach Baku in June, July and August to show case Pakistan to Azerbaijani market.
The Pakistani ambassador said both Pakistan and Azerbaijan had developed their bilateral relationships over a period of time. He said last year they celebrated Silver Jubilee of their 25-year long bilateral relationship.
Dr Saeed Khan Mohmand said the two Countries enjoyed excellent and cordial relations at the leadership level as not only Pakistani leadership quiet frequently paid official visits to Baku but Azerbaijan’s Presidents Heydar Aliyev and Ilham Aliyev also toured Islamabad. He said that in fact President Ilham Aliyev also attended the 13th ECO Summit held in Islamabad in February last year.
The ambassador said even people-to-people relationship between Pakistan and Azerbaijan was also strengthening day by day. He said both the Countries also had Parliamentary Friendship Group in each other’s Parliament.
However, he was of the view, there was still a lot that the two Countries could achieve from each other. He said both the Countries had very good military and economic ties, while they were taking certain initiatives to further improve bilateral cultural ties as well.
When asked about tourism potential between the two Countries, he said there was a visible increase in the number of tourists from Pakistan. He added 17,556 tourists from Pakistan visited Azerbaijan in 2016, comparing with 3,800 in 2015.
The envoy indicated that there was a possibility that Shaheen Air could start direct flights from Pakistan to Baku soon. He said once the two Countries established air connectivity it would further bring them closer.
In reply to a question, Dr Saeed said every Pakistani was a Country’s ambassador abroad. He said if Pakistanis came to Azerbaijan, native people judged them by their behaviour and by their way of talking.
Therefore, he added, he asked all Pakistanis arriving in Azerbaijan that “Please serve this Country and by serving this Country you would be serving your own Country and the people.”
