ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistan and Azerbaijan have affirmed the commitment to further expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in the areas of bilateral interest, especially energy, trade, connectivity, defence, and people-to-people linkages.
This was discussed during a meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and the visiting President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad on Friday.
Welcoming his Azerbaijani Counterpart, President Zardari said that both countries enjoyed excellent relations and had a great scope of further improving ties in various areas of mutual interest. He underlined the need for more regular engagements between the people and businessmen of Pakistan and Azerbaijan to cement bilateral ties.
The president highlighted the importance of Gwadar port, saying that Central Asian Countries and Azerbaijan could benefit from it for promoting regional trade, connectivity and tourism, besides bringing shared economic prosperity to the region.
President Zardari welcomed the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between Pakistan and Azerbaijan, adding that the MoUs would give a new impetus to bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade, commerce, tourism, mines and minerals, science and technology, law & justice, and culture.
Asif Ali Zardari highlighted that the East had the potential to lead the world towards prosperity. He added that Pakistan wanted to build a sustainable and result-oriented engagement with Central Asian Republics and Azerbaijan.
Speaking on the occasion, President Ilham Aliyev said that Pakistan and Azerbaijan enjoyed a high frequency of people-to-people exchanges and both the countries needed to promote business-to-business relations for enhancing economic relations.
President Ilham Aliyev stated that Pakistan and Azerbaijan could also explore the possibility of working together in the renewable energy sector.
Later, President Zardari also hosted a banquet in honour of President Ilham Aliyev and his delegation, which was also attended by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Federal Ministers, parliamentarians, diplomats, and journalists at the President’s House.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his warm greetings for the people of Azerbaijan and reassured Pakistan’s unwavering support for Azerbaijan.
