Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warmly welcomed President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan to Islamabad on Thursday for a two-day official visit at the Pakistani premier’s invitation.
President Aliyev arrived at Nur Khan Air Base, where he received a ceremonial reception with a red carpet, accompanied by PM Shehbaz and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. The visit included a 21-gun salute to honor the esteemed guest.
During his stay, President Aliyev is scheduled to meet with PM Shehbaz, President Asif Ali Zardari, and other senior officials.
Discussions will cover various topics of mutual interest aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation, with plans to sign multiple memoranda of understanding between Islamabad and Baku.
The agenda also includes a banquet hosted by President Zardari in honor of President Aliyev, who will also meet with Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir.
Additionally, talks between the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Azerbaijan are slated to take place at the Foreign Office.
Looking ahead, Pakistan is expecting visits from five heads of state over the next five months, including Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nihan, Qatar’s Emir Tamim al-Thani, and Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan.
In April, Islamabad hosted the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, resulting in agreements to enhance bilateral cooperation in trade, connectivity, energy, and people-to-people exchanges.
President Raisi’s visit included meetings with President Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Army Chief General Munir, Senate Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani, Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, as well as the chief ministers and governors of Sindh and Punjab.