ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday proposed greater cooperation with Azerbai­jan in trade and energy sectors.

He was talking to Azerbai­jan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, who called on him. Mr Bayramov was on a two-day visit to Pakistan during which he also attended a trilateral meeting with his Pakistani and Turkish counterparts.

“The prime minister exp­r­essed satisfaction at the excellent quality of bilateral political relations and emphasised the importance of enhancing bilateral trade and energy cooperation,” the Prime Minister Office said after the meeting.

Mr Khan felicitated Azerbaijan on the liberation of the occupied territories from Armenia. He assured Pakistan’s “all possible” as­­sistance in the reconstruction of the liberated areas.

The Azerbaijan government is currently reconstructing the liberated region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

President Arif Alvi, in his meeting with Mr Bayramov, also underlined the need for expanding the volume of bilateral trade and promoting cultural cooperation.

Mr Bayramov thanked Pakistan for its support on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s consistent support and solidarity on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

Foreign Minister Shah Mah­mood Qureshi and Jey­hun Bayramov in their meeting at the Foreign Office reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international issues.

Mr Qureshi underscored the importance of building a stronger economic relationship with Azerbaijan.

The two foreign ministers at the conclusion of their talks signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of natural emergencies and disasters.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2021