ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed on Friday for a two-day official visit to Azerbaijan at the invitation of President Ilham Aliyev.
In a post on social media platform X, state-run PTV said that Information Minister Attaullah Tarar was also accompanying the premier.
Earlier today, the Foreign Office (FO) said PM Shehbaz would undertake the visit to participate in events being held in connection with the fifth anniversary of Victory Day, which commemorates Azerbaijan’s triumph in liberating its territories from Armenian occupation.
The statement said that the premier was undertaking the visit at the invitation of Azerbaijan President Aliyev. “During the visit, the prime minister will attend the official Victory Day celebrations and hold a meeting with President Aliyev,” the FO said.
“Discussions will focus on reviewing the entire gamut of bilateral relations and identifying new avenues to further deepen cooperation in diverse sectors, including trade and investment, energy, defence, education, and regional connectivity,” it added.
The FO said that Pakistan and Azerbaijan enjoy “long-standing fraternal relations, rooted in shared faith, history, culture, and mutual trust”.
“The visit by the prime minister will reaffirm Pakistan’s steadfast support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and to further advance the strategic partnership between the two brotherly nations,” the FO concluded.
The premier had visited Azerbaijan earlier this year in May as well while on a four-nation tour. He had met the Azerbaijan president, and the two had renewed their pledge to diversify the strategic partnership through investment in mutually beneficial avenues.
President Aliyev had also called PM Shehbaz in August and expressed his appreciation for Pakistan’s consistent support on the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.