Pakistan, Azerbaijan cement strategic ties with trade push

July 19, 2025 (MLN): Pakistan and Azerbaijan on Saturday reaffirmed their strategic partnership and expressed satisfaction over their growing cooperation across bilateral and multilateral fronts, as both sides continue to deepen economic and infrastructural linkages.

In a telephone conversation, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov reviewed the progress in bilateral ties, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office.

The two leaders discussed key areas of mutual interest and expressed contentment with their joint efforts to strengthen the "close and fraternal" relationship.

They also noted the robust cooperation between Pakistan and Azerbaijan at various multilateral platforms, particularly the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

This reaffirmation of strategic ties follows a significant high-level meeting held a day earlier at Pakistan’s Ministry of Railways, where both countries agreed to establish joint working groups (JWGs) to fast-track a strategic economic partnership focused on rail and trade infrastructure.

Chairing the meeting, Minister of State for Railways and Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani reiterated Pakistan’s intent to enhance rail-based trade connectivity with Azerbaijan, as part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s broader vision for modernizing the country’s railway network.

Senior officials from Pakistan’s Railway Board, the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), National Logistics Corporation (NLC), and other key institutions participated in the session, where a detailed roadmap was discussed for expanding cross-border freight capabilities and leveraging Pakistan’s geographic position as a logistics hub for Central Asia.

With political will and economic momentum aligning, both Islamabad and Baku appear poised to transition from traditional diplomacy toward a results-driven partnership grounded in connectivity, commerce, and strategic convergence.

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