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PAKISTAN, AZERBAIJAN REITERATE SHARED PLEDGE TO DIVERSIFY STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP Wednesday, 28 May, 2025 I 30 Ziquad, 1446
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PM SHEHBAZ, PRESIDENT ALIYEV REVIEW FULL SPECTRUM OF BILATERAL RELATIONS, EXPRESS SATISFACTION OVER UPWARD TRAJECTORY OF MULTIFACETED COOPERATION
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LACHIN/ISLAMABAD
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TWO LEADERS REAFFIRM COMMITMENT TO DEEPENING OF BILATERAL PARTNERSHIP, WORKING TO FURTHER SHARED OBJECTIVES AT BILATERAL AND REGIONAL LEVELS
SALEEM JADOON
RIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev reiterated the shared pledge to diversify the strategic partnership through investment in mutually beneficial avenues, underscoring the importance of coordinated efforts to promote regional stability, and principled positions on key international issues, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. Premier Shehbaz Sharif met with President Aliyev after landing in Azerbaijan’s city of Lachin earlier Tuesday as part of his four-nation tour to appreciate their support for Pakistan during the recent military confrontation with India. PM Shehbaz Sharif had started his expedition on May 25, with a visit to Turkiye and then he went to Tehran on Monday where he held detailed meetings with the Iranian leadership, according to Associated Press of Pakistan citing Prime Minister Office. Tajikistan is the final stop of the prime minister’s trip ending on May 30, the APP said. During their meeting on Tuesday, PM Shehbaz and Aliyev reviewed the “full spectrum of bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction over the upward trajectory of political, economic, defence, and cultural cooperation” between their countries, State broadcaster PTV News reported. The prime minister expressed gratitude to President Aliyev for the steadfast support during the recent Pakistan-India
confrontation and “acknowledged the public expressions of solidarity from both the leadership and the people of brotherly Azerbaijan”. Earlier this month, Aliyev had congratulated Shehbaz upon Pakistan’s “remarkable success”, according to the PM Office. He noted that the people of Azerbaijan “celebrated the success of Pakistan in Marka-i-Haq against India”, referring to the Pakistan armed forces’ response to Indian aggression. A video shared by the government showed President Aliyev greeting the premier with a hug and the two sharing an energetic handshake. The Azerbaijan side agreed to the exchange of delegations regarding progress in its investment in Pakistan, with dele-
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gation-level talks to be organised “very soon”, Radio Pakistan reported. The prime minister reiterated that both countries had stood by each other on every occasion and would continue to do so. He also conveyed his warm felicitations to Aliyev and his nation ahead of the Azerbaijan Republic Day tomorrow. The two leaders underscored the importance of coordinated efforts to promote regional stability, mutual prosperity and principled positions on key international issues, the report added. The meeting concluded with both leaders reaffirming their commitment to the deepening of the Pakistan-Azerbaijan partnership and working closely to further advance shared objectives at the bilateral and regional levels.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi were also present during the meeting, according to a post on the government’s official X account. The leaders also met over a luncheon, according to state media. “Unity and brotherhood — in the end, that’s all what matters!” posted Dar on his X account. He also shared a video showing glimpses of Aliyev and the Pakistani top leadership having a cordial conversation. PM arrives in Azerbaijan to attend Trilateral Summit Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday arrived in the city of Lachin, Azerbaijan where at Lachin airport, he was received by Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Qasim Mohiuddin and other diplomatic staff, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported. The prime minister is set to attend the Pakistan-Turkiye-Azerbaijan Trilateral Summit alongside presidents – Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Aliyev, according APP citing Prime Minister’s Office. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi accompanied the prime minister. Earlier in Istanbul, both Premier Shehbaz Sharif and President Erdogan had “reaffirmed their principled support for each other’s core concerns, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute”.
Field Marshal Gen Munir, Iranian commander agree to boost defence cooperation TEHRAN/RAWALPINDI STAFF REPORT
The Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, met senior Iranian military officials in Tehran on Tuesday to discuss deepening defence cooperation and improving border security mechanisms. During his visit to the General Staff Headquarters, the army chief held talks with Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press release on Tuesday. The two military leaders exchanged views on “evolving regional security landscape, with particular focus on strengthening bilateral defence ties” and agreed to boost military-to-military coordination,” the ISPR said. The discussions also covered joint efforts to transform the shared border into a hub for trade and economic activity, with both nations underscoring the need to promote regional peace and prosperity. “Key areas of mutual interest included enhancing military-to-military cooperation, improving security mechanisms along the shared border, and exploring avenues for transforming the border regions into zones of trade and economic connectivity, thereby contributing to regional stability and prosperity,” it added. COAS Munir was “accorded a warm welcome upon his arrival, including a ceremonial guard of honour presented by a well-turned-out contingent of the Iranian Armed Forces”, the statement added. The ISPR stated that COAS Munir was on an official visit to Türkiye, Iran and Azerbaijan — three of the countries on Shehbaz’s itinerary. The army chief, alongside PM Shehbaz, yesterday met with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was also present during the meeting, according to state-run PTV News. Earlier, Pakistan’s First Lady, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, met a senior Iranian delegation at Bilawal House on Monday, reaffirming Islamabad’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and promoting regional cooperation with Tehran. The visiting delegation was led by Dr Reyhaneh Sadat Raeisi, daughter of the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.