Pakistan assures support for Karabakh reconstruction

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - Pakistan on Thursday assured Azerbaijan that it will extend support for rehabilitation and reconstruction activities in the newly liberated Nagorno-Karabakh territories.

The assurance was given by Prime Minister Imran Khan to the visiting Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov during a meeting in the capital Islamabad, according to a statement issued by the premier’s office.

The prime minister expressed satisfaction at the exceptional bilateral political relations and emphasized the importance of enhancing bilateral trade and energy cooperation between the two countries.

The prime minister also extended his sincere felicitations to Azerbaijan leadership and people over recent success in liberation of its occupied territories.

Bayramov also conveyed cordial greetings of Azerbaijani President Ilhan Aliyev to Khan and expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s support on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s consistent support and solidarity on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, according to the statement.

Bayramov arrived in Islamabad on a two-day visit to attend the second Pakistan-Turkey-Azerbaijan trilateral meeting held in Islamabad on Wednesday evening.

He also met with President Arif Alvi, who also congratulated his government and people over the liberation of Nagorno-Karabakh and reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

"Pakistan highly values its relations with Azerbaijan which are based on common faith, historic and cultural linkages," the president said.

Praising Azerbaijan’s role as a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Contact Group on Kashmir, the president thanked Baku for its support to the people of “Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.”

- Delegation level talks

Later, Bayramov held delegation-level talks with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi at the Foreign Ministry.

Qureshi welcomed him at his office and the two sides reviewed the entire gamut of Pakistan-Azerbaijan relations and exchanged views on regional and international issues, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The two sides reaffirmed their resolve to comprehensively upgrade cooperation in the political, security, trade and economic, energy, connectivity, education, and cultural areas.

Qureshi congratulated his counterpart on Azerbaijan’s recent historic victory in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and expressed support for rehabilitation and reconstruction activities in the newly liberated territories.

Expressing satisfaction at the successful conclusion of second trilateral meeting of Pakistan-Turkey-Azerbaijan, Qureshi underlined that trilateral cooperation may be enhanced through specific projects.

The two foreign ministers also signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of natural emergencies and disasters.