Azernews.Az

Pakistani Senate chairman Farooq Hamid Naek on Friday said the country greatly values its brotherly relations with Azerbaijan which is based on historical, cultural and religious commonality, Associated Press Of Pakistan reported.

In a meeting with the newly appointed Azerbaijani Ambassador to Pakistan Dashgin Shikarov, who called on him in Islamabad, Naek said the two countries enjoy commonalities of views on various regional and international issues.

"The support that we extend to each other on different issues is the manifestation of our strong ties," Naek added.

Naek praised the close cooperation between the two countries in different fields.

He said further that bilateral trade and economic cooperation could be greatly enhanced, as the annual trade turnover which stands at $11.55 million is not commensurate with the existing potential.

Naek also said there is tremendous potential for defense cooperation. "Our countries must jointly explore further avenues of cooperation in this field," he added.

The Senate chairman appreciated Azerbaijan’s support on the Kashmir issue and Pakistan’s endeavors for peaceful settlement of the dispute in accordance with the UN resolution and wishes of Kashmiri people.

Naek said Pakistan would continue to extend its support to Azerbaijan on Nagorno Karabakh and other territories illegally occupied by Armenia.

He also underscored the need for more frequent parliamentary exchanges and people to people contacts and said such contacts help consolidate the existing ties.

The Azerbaijani ambassador assured Naek that he will do everything possible to further strengthen the friendly relations between the two countries.