PM Shehbaz departs for Baku to attend Azerbaijan’s Victory Day celebrations

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday departed for a two-day official visit to Azerbaijan to attend celebrations marking the fifth anniversary of the country’s Victory Day.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar is accompanying the prime minister on the visit.

At the invitation of President Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister Shehbaz will participate in the Victory Day events being held in Baku.

During the visit, the prime minister will hold a meeting with President Aliyev to review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and explore new avenues to further enhance cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, energy, defence, education, and regional connectivity.

Pakistan and Azerbaijan enjoy longstanding fraternal ties grounded in shared faith, history, culture, and mutual trust.

Both countries also maintain close collaboration at regional and international forums, including the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), and the United Nations (UN).

The prime minister’s visit will reaffirm Pakistan’s unwavering support for Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two brotherly nations.

According to a report, Pakistan’s bilateral trade with Central Asian states, along with Afghanistan and Azerbaijan, surged to $2.41 billion in FY25, showing a sharp increase from $1.92 billion in the previous fiscal year.

Pakistan’s exports to these countries surged to $1.77 billion, while imports were recorded at $641 million.

This represents a clear recovery from FY24, when exports were recorded at $1.34 billion and imports reached $581 million, said a document available with Wealth Pakistan.

Afghanistan continues to dominate as Pakistan’s largest trading partner in the region, with exports rising to $1.39 billion and imports reaching $612.5 million.

Kazakhstan has also emerged as a significant partner, with exports from Pakistan increasing to $250.8 million while Uzbekistan followed with $91.4 million in exports and $20.3 million in imports in FY25.