Azerbaijan, Pakistan discuss cooperation to restore liberated lands [PHOTO]

By Vafa Ismayilova

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Director-General of Pakistani Frontier  Works Organization military engineering company Major General Kamal Azfar have discussed the situation on Azerbaijan's liberated territories and cooperation to restore those lands, the Foreign Ministry has said.

At the meeting that took place on February 25, Minister Jeyhun Bayramov cordially greeted the delegation and expressed satisfaction with the current state of friendly and brotherly relations between Azerbaijan and Pakistan. He said that Pakistan's ever-present support for Azerbaijan's just position, which is based on international law is highly valued by the Azerbaijani state and people.

It was noted that as part of the visit of the Frontier Works Organization, the meetings held and visits paid to the liberated territories provided an ample opportunity for the members of the organization to better understand the situation in the region. In general, sides expressed confidence that this visit would be fruitful and make a positive contribution to the developing relations between our countries, the report added.

In his turn, Director-General of Pakistan's Frontier Works Organization Major General Kamal Azfar appreciated  Bayramov’s warm welcome and once again congratulated the Azerbaijani state and people on the victory in the Second Karabakh War in 2020.

While noting with regret that they had witnessed the scale of the destruction in these areas during their visits to the liberated districts, he emphasized that they feel great pride in the return of those territories to Azerbaijani control.  Bayramov assessed the Pakistani delegation's visit to Azerbaijan as very productive. The sides also exchanged views on the prospects for further development of bilateral relations, the ministry said.

 It should be noted that Bayramov and Azfar earlier discussed prospects of cooperation to restore Azerbaijani lands liberated from Armenian occupation in mid-January. 

Bayramov met Azfar as part of his official visit to Islamabad on January 13. 

Then Bayramov spoke about the current regional situation and said that after the 44-day Patriotic War, Azerbaijan entered the post-conflict recovery and rehabilitation phase. He informed Azfar about the current work being implemented in the region, including demining and infrastructure projects. The minister noted that Azerbaijan is ready to work with the interested partner countries and international organizations in the restoration and construction work.

Azfar briefed Bayramov about the organization's activities in detail, including the construction of bridges, roads, tunnels, as well as telecommunication lines, etc. in Pakistan in the past 45 years and the activities in the field of infrastructure services development. 

Azerbaijan is interested in the active inflow of foreign direct investments and foreign companies from friendly countries in the country to get its liberated territories restored. Significant growth in the performance of the construction sector is expected in Azerbaijan in 2021 as internally displaced persons are to move to liberated territories after they are demined and restored.

It should be noted that President Ilham said on December 7 that companies of friendly countries will be involved in the restoration work to reconstruct Azerbaijan's territories liberated from Armenia's 30-year-old occupation.

Azerbaijan liberated its territories from the Armenian occupaion in the six-week-war that started on September 27.

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