Islamabad: Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani bid farewell to the Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan, H.E. Mr. Khazar Farhadov, at Parliament House and commended his outstanding contribution to further strengthening the historic, brotherly and strategic partnership between Pakistan and Azerbaijan.Welcoming the Ambassador, Chairman Senate appreciated his dedicated efforts in deepening bilateral cooperation and expanding political, parliamentary, economic and people-to-people ties during his tenure.
He noted that Ambassador Farhadov’s proactive engagement had significantly reinforced the enduring friendship between the two countries, founded on mutual trust, shared values and steadfast support for each other on issues of national importance.Chairman Senate expressed satisfaction over the unprecedented momentum in high-level exchanges between the leadership of both countries, including the landmark visit of President Ilham Aliyev to Pakistan and the Prime Minister of Pakistan’s subsequent visits to Baku. He said these engagements had elevated bilateral relations to new heights.Recalling his own visits to Baku, Chairman Senate highlighted the growing parliamentary cooperation between the two countries. He emphasized the importance of strengthening exchanges between parliamentary committees and Parliamentary Friendship Groups, noting that parliamentary diplomacy remains a key pillar of bilateral relations. He also conveyed his best wishes to the Speaker of the Milli Majlis, H.E. Ms. Sahiba Gafarova.Chairman Senate welcomed the positive trajectory in bilateral trade and investment and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to realizing the agreed US$2 billion investment target.
He appreciated Azerbaijan’s decision to reduce import duty on Pakistani rice to zero until 2027 and underscored the importance of expanding cooperation in energy, information technology, agriculture, healthcare, artificial intelligence, innovation and tourism.Highlighting enhanced connectivity, Chairman Senate welcomed the operationalization of direct flights and the ASAN visa programme, describing them as important steps towards promoting tourism, business and people-to-people exchanges.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s principled support for Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Chairman Senate thanked Azerbaijan for its consistent support to Pakistan on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. He observed that the relationship between the two countries is rooted not only in shared strategic interests but also in deep historical and cultural links, symbolized by the historic Multani Caravanserai in Baku.
