Azerbaijan and Pakistan share a friendly and cooperative relationship characterized by mutual respect, support, and collaboration in various fields. The two countries have developed close ties based on shared cultural, historical, and geopolitical interests.
The diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Azerbaijan started on 09 June 1992, shortly after Azerbaijan gained independence from the Soviet Union. The cultural bond shared between two countries with Turkic and Persian influences and being Muslim majority states. Pakistan and Azerbaijan have worked together for preserving and promoting cultural heritage.
The Islamic republic of Pakistan has also maintained close defense and security ties with Azerbaijan. The two states have engaged in various military programs, joint exercises and exchange of military delegation. Pakistan and Azerbaijan have tried to enhance further economic cooperation. The two states have agreed to collaborate in sectors like agriculture, pharmaceuticals, information technology, and tourism. The government of Pakistan has made tremendous efforts to increase bilateral trade and explore avenues of investment.
The PTOI government had signed an agreement with Azerbaijan for import of LNG on concessional rates which will start from next month, and in their all-encompassing talks in Baku, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in the fields of energy, trade and aviation to reflect the decades-old strong relationship between the two nations.
Azerbaijan, as a major energy producer, has the potential to supply oil and gas to Pakistan. The two countries have discussed the possibility of establishing energy corridors and enhancing energy cooperation, including the exploration of oil and gas fields.
The LNG deal is a historic one as it would go a long way to help Pakistan overcome our critical energy shortage and bring down the exorbitant domestic cost of the LNG. The credit goes to Om Shebaz Sharif who took keen personal interest in the finalization of the accord with Azerbaijan in the backdrop of government to government deal and also signing import of gas from Qatar. It has rightly been pointed out that this is the second major achievement for Pakistan towards the fulfilment of energy needs after recently receiving the shipment of crude oil from Russia.
In addition to the LNG deal, Azerbaijan has also committed to invest in the alternative energy sector of Pakistan including solar power generation, which is one of the priority areas for the incumbent government to resolve energy-related issues on a durable basis. The President of Azerbaijan also demonstrated his good wishes for Pakistan by abolishing duties on Pakistani rice to facilitate the export of the commodity to the friendly country.
It is a matter of record that the Azeri President never minced words when it came to extending support to Pakistan on its principled stand on Kashmir dispute. Similarly, Pakistan always expressed solidarity with Azerbaijan in maintaining its territorial integrity and supported its position on the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the PM’s visit to Azerbaijan has laid a strong foundation for promotion of bilateral ties and hopefully the momentum