Azerbaijan-Pakistan: A Strong Alliance And Mutual Support

Pakistan and Azerbaijan have a strong diplomatic relationship, with both countries enjoying a strategic partnership. Pakistan was one of the first countries to recognize Azerbaijan's independence in 1991, and the two nations have since collaborated in various sectors, including trade, defence, and foreign policy. Pakistan has supported Azerbaijan's stance on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and the two countries have signed agreements to enhance military cooperation and joint defence production. Additionally, Pakistan has provided humanitarian aid to Azerbaijan during natural disasters and supported Azerbaijan's position within international organisations. The two countries also share cultural and religious ties, with Baku State University offering an Urdu language programme for Azeri students.

Pakistan was the first country to recognise Azerbaijan's independence

Pakistan was the first country to recognise Azerbaijan as an independent state on 12 December 1991, shortly after Azerbaijan gained its independence from the Soviet Union. This recognition laid the foundation for a strong bond between the two nations.

The relationship between Pakistan and Azerbaijan is steeped in history and shared cultural and religious practices. Before Azerbaijan's independence, people from Pakistan travelled there for business, and remnants of their presence can still be found in the latter country. Both countries are majority-Muslim and share a border with Iran, which has influenced their culture and cuisine.

The recognition of Azerbaijan's independence by Pakistan set the stage for the development of strategic relations between the two countries. Over the years, they have enhanced their cooperation in various fields, including politics, economics, defence, and culture.

The two nations have signed numerous agreements to strengthen their ties, including those pertaining to friendship, trade, tax, health, and tourism. They have also collaborated in the energy sector, with Azerbaijan supplying oil and gas products to Pakistan.

In recent years, the relationship between Pakistan and Azerbaijan has continued to flourish, with high-level visits and the signing of additional agreements to further strengthen their bilateral cooperation. The two countries are considered "strategic partners" and continue to support each other on matters of national interest.

Pakistan is the only country that does not recognise Armenia as a state

Pakistan is the only country in the world that does not recognise Armenia as a sovereign state. This is due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Pakistan has stated that it will only recognise Armenian independence if Armenians relinquish their claim to Nagorno-Karabakh and end their presence in the disputed territory.

Pakistan has close relations with Azerbaijan, and the two countries are considered "strategic partners". Pakistan was the second country to recognise Azerbaijan's independence after the collapse of the USSR. In turn, Azerbaijan supports Pakistan's stance on Kashmir. Both countries have signed multiple agreements on friendship and cooperation, trade, tax, health and tourism.

In recent years, military cooperation between the two countries has increased. Pakistan has provided military training to Azerbaijani units and, in 2022, the two countries struck a $1.6 billion deal for Azerbaijan to purchase JF-17 fighter jets from Pakistan.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is at the core of Pakistan's decision not to recognise Armenia. The conflict lasted from 1988 to 1994 and remains unresolved. During this time, the Armenian Armed Forces invaded Azerbaijan, and the region has remained de facto independent since then, with almost all its Azeri residents being ethnically cleansed. Pakistan does not support the unilateral changing of international borders by force, nor does it agree with Armenia's continued occupation of Azerbaijani territory.

In addition, Pakistan is against Armenia's refusal to implement UNSC resolutions on Nagorno-Karabakh and strongly condemns the ethnic cleansing of local Azeris. Four UNSC resolutions (822, 853, 874, and 884) were passed in 1993, calling for Armenia's withdrawal from internationally recognised Azerbaijani territory, but Yerevan has refused to implement them.

Pakistan's non-recognition of Armenia is a principled stance, taken in protest of Yerevan's human rights violations against the Azeris in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Pakistan supported Azerbaijan during the First and Second Nagorno-Karabakh Wars

Pakistan was the second country to recognise Azerbaijan's independence in 1991, after Turkey. Since then, the two countries have enjoyed a strategic partnership, with Pakistan providing diplomatic and military support to Azerbaijan during both wars.

During the First Nagorno-Karabakh War (1988-1994), Pakistan openly supported Azerbaijan's position to defend a region recognised internationally as part of its territory. Pakistan also supported Azerbaijan during the 2020 Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, which resulted in a significant Azerbaijani victory.

In addition to diplomatic support, Pakistan has also provided military assistance to Azerbaijan. Pakistani military experts have trained about a hundred Azerbaijani military units over the past decade. Pakistan and Azerbaijan have also held joint military drills and discussed joint pilot training and military exercises.

In 2022, Pakistan and Azerbaijan struck a $1.6 billion deal for the purchase of JF-17 multirole fighter aircraft.

Pakistan's support for Azerbaijan extends beyond the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Pakistan is the only country in the world that does not recognise Armenia as a sovereign state due to the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute. Pakistan has declared that any recognition of Armenia will be contingent on Armenians relinquishing their claim to Nagorno-Karabakh.

The two countries also collaborate in other areas, such as trade, energy, and humanitarian aid.

The two countries have signed multiple agreements to strengthen diplomatic and trade relations

Pakistan and Azerbaijan have signed multiple agreements to strengthen their diplomatic and trade relations. Both countries have a history of strong relations, with Pakistan being the second country to recognise Azerbaijan's independence in 1991, after Turkey.

In 1995, the then-President of Pakistan, Farooq Leghari, became the first president of his country to visit Azerbaijan. A year later, Heydar Aliyev, the then-President of Azerbaijan, visited Islamabad. Meetings between Aliyev and the then-Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto, resulted in the signing of nine agreements, including those on friendship and cooperation, trade, tax, health, and tourism.

In 2002, an agreement on defence and military cooperation was concluded between the two countries. In 2003, the then-Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, met with the then-President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, to discuss international issues. In 2004, Musharraf made an official visit to Azerbaijan, and in 2005, Aliyev visited Pakistan. During this visit, the leaders discussed the potential for establishing a partnership, and six agreements were signed in the fields of information and communication, transport, aviation, cultural relations, finance, and education.

In 2006, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shaukat Aziz, attended the 9th ECO Summit in Baku. In 2013, officials from both countries affirmed that Azerbaijan and Pakistan "enjoy strategic partnership relations".

In 2017, the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, attended the XIII Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in Islamabad. During this summit, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, and President Aliyev agreed to import products from Pakistan's military-industrial complex.

In 2021, the first trilateral meeting between the chairmen of the National Assemblies of Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Pakistan took place. The Baku Declaration, which emphasised the importance of historical and cultural ties, was discussed and approved.

In July 2024, President Aliyev visited Pakistan, holding meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari. Several agreements were signed during this visit to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.

Azerbaijan and Pakistan have also been working to increase bilateral trade. In 2022, trade between the two countries crossed $28 million. They have been negotiating a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) and a Transit Trade Agreement (TTA), which are expected to significantly boost bilateral trade.

In June 2023, an agreement was reached between the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and the energy company Pakistan LNG (PLL) to deliver liquefied natural gas (LNG) at discounted rates for one year. This agreement contributed to a significant increase in bilateral trade, which exceeded $100 million in 2023.

During President Aliyev's visit to Islamabad in July 2024, the Transit Trade Agreement and the Preferential Trade Agreement were finalised and signed. Additionally, the two countries plan to establish a joint investment portfolio worth an estimated $2 billion to finance joint business projects.

Both countries have a history of military cooperation and joint exercises

Azerbaijan and Pakistan have a history of military cooperation and joint exercises. Both countries are considered "strategic partners" and have a defence agreement in place since 2002. Over the past decade, Pakistani military experts have trained about a hundred Azerbaijani military units.

Azerbaijan's naval personnel participated in the Pakistan-led multinational exercise AMAN-2013 in the Arabian Sea. The country also held bilateral military exercises with Pakistan, as mentioned by Ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during his official visit to Azerbaijan in October 2016.

Azerbaijan has expressed interest in importing the JF-17 Thunder, a multi-functional aircraft jointly developed by Pakistan and China. In October 2016, President Aliyev and PM Nawaz Sharif confirmed plans to conduct joint military exercises and, in 2019-2020, the mass production of JF-17 Block 3 fighters. On 12 September 2021, Azerbaijan hosted joint military drills with Pakistan and Turkey. On 22 February, Pakistan and Azerbaijan struck a $1.6 billion deal for the sale of JF-17 aircraft to Azerbaijan.

In March 2024, the air chiefs of Azerbaijan and Pakistan met to discuss joint pilot training and military exercises. The two countries have also signed a defence agreement in May 2003, allowing Azerbaijani military personnel to take part in annual military drills with the Pakistan Armed Forces.

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