Islamabad:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Sunday for the historic peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, welcoming development as a historic turning point for the South Caucasus and a bridge to regional prosperity.
The Prime Minister received a telephone call from President Aliyev in which the two leaders discussed the peace agreement, bilateral relations and prospects for regional connectivity, said his office in an official document.
During the “warm and cordial” conversation, Shehbaz praised Aliyev’s “visionary role” in the end of the several decades conflict on Nagorno-Karabakh, describing it as “a mutually beneficial end to one of the most intractable disputes in the region”.
He said that the peace agreement “would inaugurate a new era of stability and economic opportunities for the Caucasus”. The Prime Minister also congratulated the role of US President Donald Trump in facilitation of the agreement.
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought bitter wars on Nagorno -Karabakh – a mountainous region of Azerbaijani – first in the early 1990s after the collapse of the former Soviet Union and again in 2020. Azerbaijan found a territory in a rapid 24 -hour offensive in September 2023.
This has caused new diplomatic efforts to obtain lasting peace. The United States Agreement aims to normalize links between the two countries, paving the way for business, transport and enlarged energy cooperation after decades of hostility.
Aliyev expressed a deep gratitude for Pakistan’s “long-standing” support in Azerbaijan’s position on the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh. “It has always been duty for the inhabitants of Pakistan to extend their support to their Azerbaijani brothers and sisters,” said Shehbaz.
Aliyev pointed out that a stable southern Caucasus could become a connectivity center connecting Pakistan to Central Asia, offering new ways for trade and cooperation. The two leaders expressed their satisfaction with the “positive trajectory” of bilateral relations, in particular in trade and investment.
Recalling their recent meetings in Lachin and Khankendi, Shehbaz reiterated his invitation to President Aliyev to undertake an official visit to Pakistan. The two leaders should also meet on the sidelines of the next Shanghai cooperation organization (SCO) in Tianjin.
In an article on X After the conversation, Shehbaz wrote: “I transmitted warm congratulations to him and to the inhabitants of Azerbaijan on the historic Azerbaijan-Armenia Peace Agree … We also examined the trajectory of bilateral relations and reaffirmed our commitment to continue with this positive impulse.”
He said Pakistan was eager to continue high -level commitments with Azerbaijan in the coming days.
(With the entries of the application and the news office)
