ISLAMABAD, July 11 (NNI): President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev arrived here on Thursday on a two-day official visit from July 11-12, at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
As President Aliyev alighted at the Nur Khan Airbase from his special aircraft, he was warmly received by Prime Minister Shehbaz along with his cabinet members, including Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.
A 21-gun salute boomed in the backdrop to herald the arrival of the foreign dignitary. Two children, clad in traditional dresses, presented bouquets to him.
During his visit, President Aliyev will hold meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz and President Asif Ali Zardari.
The two sides will engage in wide-ranging discussions in areas of mutual interest to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.
Several agreements and MoUs are expected to be signed during the visit.
Pakistan’s foreign office said this week Aliyev’s visit was expected to boost economic cooperation between the two countries. His visit follows an inaugural Pakistan-Turkiye-Azerbaijan trilateral summit in Kazakhstan this month, which was attended by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
At the summit, Sharif proposed the establishment of tripartite institutional mechanisms in economic and investment areas to further strengthen cooperation among the three nations.
Earlier, Minister for Petroleum Musadik Malik has said that Azerbaijan was considering an investment of $2 to $3 billion in Pakistan.”
Malik told a private television channel that Azerbaijan was particularly interested in investing in the mineral, oil and gas sectors.
The minister said Azerbaijan was focusing on the oil and gas exploration sector and that the country was keen to expand investments in the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) sector as well.
Malik said PM Sharif was eager to expand economic cooperation with “friendly countries,” adding that he prioritized investment over aid from allies.
The petroleum minister said the Azeri president’s visit to the country is expected to boost bilateral ties between the countries. “Discussions will include increasing textile exports and promoting the IT sector between the two countries.”
Pakistan has increasingly sought to position itself as a transit hub connecting landlocked Central Asian states to the Arabian Sea in recent months.
Islamabad has sought to bolster trade and investment relations with allies to stabilize its fragile $350 billion economy that faces an acute balance of payment crisis, soaring inflation and surging external debt. NN
