Azerbaijan has become a beacon of hope for sustainable energy supplies
Qabil Ashirov
Read moreThe importance of Azerbaijan soars increasingly worldwide against the backdrop of the global energy crisis due to the Ukrainian War. As the European countries backed out to purchase natural gas from Russia after the war, gas prices ramped up. The crisis roiled all countries throughout the world, especially emerging economies in Asia. Brotherly Pakistan is one the countries that struggle somehow to cope with the increasing energy crisis. The situation in Pakistan has got worsened since February 2023. In this difficult time, Azerbaijan raced to assist the brotherly country. Azerbaijan and Pakistan signed an agreement on selling LNG at a cheap price and on the heels of the agreement the Pakistani PM Office made a statement that PM Shehbaz Sharif will pay a maiden visit to Azerbaijan on June 14, 2023, at the invitation of President Ilham Aliyev. The statement reads that Ministers representing the priority areas of cooperation with Azerbaijan will be part of the PM’s entourage. According to the Prime Ministry's office, the prime minister will hold wide-ranging talks with President Ilham Aliyev on key areas of cooperation including trade, investment, and energy. Regional and global issues of mutual concern and cooperation in multilateral forums will also be discussed.
Speaking to Azernews on the issue, Dr. Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan, an Executive Director of the Center for South & International Studies (CSAIS) Islamabad noted that LNG has become the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, and constant and continued increase in its price is creating serious socio-economic and geopolitical problems for the current government of Pakistan.
“The incumbent government has been striving hard to secure easy and smooth supplies of LNG from different sources and countries, but due to complex and complicated economic conditions and regional power politics, the same has not yet been achieved. However, the Republic of Azerbaijan has become a beacon of hope for sustainable energy supplies in the country. Serious and sincere bilateral negotiations have been initiated which are now being carried out and finalized during the current visit of Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif to Baku,” Hassan Khan said.
He emphasized that LNG has become an engine of socio-economic prosperity and industrialization in the country and hopefully with the signing of an agreement on LNG it would be a good omen for the countries, industries, societies, and communities in the days to come.
Taking into account the ministers and officials who will accompany the PM, Hassan Khan thinks that the two countries can enhance their economic cooperation by reaching new agreements in different fields.
“It predicts that both countries may extend their bilateral cooperation in different and diversified sectors of the economy, especially in oil & gas cooperation, agriculture, health, infrastructure development, mining, education, and defense cooperation, etc. It also hopes that agreement on further strengthening of the civil aviation sector, textile, garments, ICT, IT, and space cooperation would also be considered and signed. Mining cooperation and infrastructure development projects in the newly liberated areas of Karabakh may also be tabled and signed,” he said.
He also touched on military cooperation between the two countries. As is known Azerbaijan has been interested in JF-17 Thunder for a long.
“I am optimistic on that issue which has now become a strategic value addition in this regard. Strong and sustainable military cooperation between Pakistan and Azerbaijan is the need of the hour which would also be important to balance the military cooperation between Armenia and India in the South Caucasus region,” the expert added.
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Qabil Ashirov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @g_Ashirov
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