Azernews.Az

BAKU – President Ilham Aliyev has invited his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari to pay a visit to Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan's new Ambassador to Pakistan Dashgin Shikarov handed over President Aliyev’s invitation to the Pakistani leader while presenting his credentials, the Azerbaijani embassy in Pakistan said Monday.

President Zardari welcomed the invitation to visit the fraternal country.

Zardari told Ambassador Shikarov that Pakistan is interested in the development of bilateral relations based on common historical, cultural and religious foundations.

The president also said that Pakistan was one of the first countries to recognize Azerbaijan's independence and has always supported the country in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and the liberation of occupied Azerbaijani territory from Armenian occupation.

Zardari thanked Azerbaijan for the support it provided after the floods in Pakistan last year, expressing special gratitude to President Aliyev.

The Pakistani president noted that Islamabad intends to continue to develop economic ties between the two countries. Zardari said he would make an effort to open Islamabad-Baku or Karachi-Baku flights.

Zardari also cited the importance of the construction of a school by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in Kashmir, voicing his appreciation to the Foundation’s President, Azerbaijan’s First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva.

Zardari added that he appreciated the continued support of Azerbaijan on the Kashmir issue and its solution within the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) on the basis of UN Security Council resolutions.

Shikarov said that political relations between the two countries are at a high level, noting that Pakistan is one of Azerbaijan’s key allies.

The ambassador said the Azerbaijani government intends to expand cooperation with Pakistan, particularly in the fields of commerce, industries and defense.

Shikarov said friendly ties between Azerbaijan and Pakistan have developed successfully within international and regional organizations as part of a strategic partnership since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Shikarov also stressed that the government and people of Pakistan have always supported Baku's position in resolving the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.