LAHORE: Islamabad and Baku are developing their ties under a trilateral framework involving Pakistan, Turkiye and Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev said on Sunday.

The Azeri president met with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in Baku, where she arrived on a three-day visit on Saturday to represent Pakistan at the 13th UN World Urban Forum (WUF13).

“President Ilham Aliyev also emphasised that Azerbaijan-Pakistan relations are currently developing within a trilateral framework involving Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Pakistan,” read a statement issued by the Azeri president’s office on the meeting.

During the meeting, the two sides “commended the development of fraternal relations and strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Pakistan”.

“They discussed cooperation in political, economic, diplomatic, defence, and other fields, while also highlighting the importance of interregional cooperation and the strong potential for further expanding trade ties,” the statement said.

It was also highlighted during the meeting that “centres based on Azerbaijan’s ‘ASAN Khidmet’ experience have been established in Pakistan”.

Expressing satisfaction with participating in WUF13, the Punjab CM thanked Aliyev “for the invitation and praised the excellent organisation of the event.” She emphasised that important global issues related to urban planning would be discussed in Baku, the presidency said.

Noting that the beauty of Baku had deeply impressed her, Maryam described the Azerbaijani capital as a remarkable example of harmony between culture and modern urban planning, it added.

The chief minister said that during her trip, she visited the grave of Azerbaijan’s founder, Heydar Aliyev, and honoured his memory with deep respect and reverence.

Maryam conveyed the greetings of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as well as her father and ex-premier Nawaz Sharif, to Aliyev. Aliyev expressed his gratitude for the greetings and asked that his own greetings be conveyed to PM Shehbaz and Nawaz, the statement added.

The Azerbaijan president “recalled the friendly relations” between Heydar Aliyev and Nawaz.

The PML-N later shared a video from the meeting, with captions stating that Maryam “emphasised that Pakistan’s strategic location and nuclear status are vital for regional balance”.

Ali Mustafa Dar, Maryam’s brother-in-law who was appointed as her adviser on artificial intelligence and special initiatives a few months ago, was also part of the delegation. On Monday, the chief minister will inaugurate the Pakistan Pavilion, “showcasing Punjab’s transformational initiatives, including Apni Chhat Apna Ghar, one of the world’s fastest and largest affordable housing programmes with 160,000 loans approved”.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2026