Islamabad welcomes Baku-Yerevan deal
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday congratulated Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the landmark peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, hailing the development as a historic turning point for the South Caucasus and a gateway to regional prosperity.
The prime minister received a telephone call from President Aliyev in which the two leaders discussed the peace accord, bilateral relations, and regional connectivity prospects, his office said in an official handout.
During the "warm and cordial" conversation, Shehbaz lauded Aliyev's "visionary role" in ending the decades-long conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, describing it as "a mutually beneficial end to one of the most intractable disputes in the region."
He said the peace agreement would "usher in a new era of stability and economic opportunity for the Caucasus." The prime minister also commended the role of US President Donald Trump in facilitating the deal.
Azerbaijan and Armenia have fought bitter wars over Nagorno-Karabakh — a mountainous Azerbaijani region — first in the early 1990s after the collapse of the former Soviet Union and again in 2020. Azerbaijan regained territory in a rapid 24-hour offensive in September 2023.
This prompted fresh diplomatic efforts to secure lasting peace. The US-brokered accord aims to normalise ties between the two countries, paving the way for expanded trade, transport, and energy cooperation after decades of hostility.
Aliyev expressed deep gratitude for Pakistan's "longstanding and consistent" support for Azerbaijan's position on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. "It has always been a duty for the people of Pakistan to extend their support to their Azerbaijani brothers and sisters," Shehbaz said.
Aliyev emphasised that a stable South Caucasus could become a hub of connectivity linking Pakistan with Central Asia, offering new avenues for trade and cooperation. Both leaders expressed satisfaction with the "positive trajectory" of bilateral relations, particularly in trade and investment.
Recalling their recent meetings in Lachin and Khankendi, Shehbaz reiterated his invitation for President Aliyev to undertake an official visit to Pakistan. The two leaders are also expected to meet on the sidelines of the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin.
In a post on X after the conversation, Shehbaz wrote: "I conveyed warm felicitations to him and the people of Azerbaijan on the historic Azerbaijan-Armenia Peace Agreement We also reviewed the trajectory of bilateral relations and reaffirmed our commitment to continue with this positive momentum."
He said Pakistan looked forward to continuing high-level engagements with Azerbaijan in the coming days.
(WITH INPUTS FROM APP AND NEWS DESK)
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