Pakistan, Azerbaijan to deepen economic ties

High-level meeting stresses need for early conclusion of PTA, BTTA

ISLAMABAD:

Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Samir Sharifov, met with Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan at his office, as stated in a press release on Tuesday. The meeting focused on strengthening economic and diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Minister Jam Kamal Khan highlighted the Pakistani government’s dedication to forging robust economic relationships with other nations. He underscored the significant strides made over the past three months in enhancing diplomatic and economic ties, achieving notable developments.

“Pakistan attaches great importance to its relationship with Azerbaijan. We must continue to advance our cooperation in various sectors, including tourism, transport, energy security, and defence, though this requires additional efforts,” said Khan, according to the statement. He also stressed the need for an early conclusion of the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) and Bilateral Transit Trade Agreement (BTTA).

Deputy Minister Sharifov conveyed Azerbaijan’s readiness for closer cooperation with Pakistan across all fields of mutual interest. He mentioned that the president of Azerbaijan plans to visit Pakistan soon, during which several MOUs are expected to be signed. Khan proposed holding B2B meetings either in Pakistan or Azerbaijan.

Both sides agreed on the necessity of a long-term and practical mechanism to enhance and monitor bilateral trade and cooperation, suggesting ways forward to achieve the desired goals.

Sharifov highlighted the ease of travel between the two countries, noting that Azerbaijan received 55,000 Pakistani visitors last year due to its favourable visa policy. He also mentioned that Azerbaijan is the first Central Asian country to initiate direct flights to Pakistan, facilitating greater connectivity.