Azerbaijan-Armenia Conflict: Pakistan's Involvement And Role

Azerbaijan and Pakistan have a strong relationship, with both countries recognising each other as strategic partners. Pakistan was the second country to recognise Azerbaijan's independence in 1991, after Turkey, and the two countries established modern relations in 1992. Pakistan is the only country in the world that does not recognise Armenia as a sovereign state, due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Pakistan has declared that recognition of Armenia will be contingent on Armenians relinquishing their claim to Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Pakistan have also collaborated on military exercises, with Pakistani military experts training around 100 Azerbaijani military units over the past decade.

Pakistan's non-recognition of Armenia as a state

Pakistan is the only country in the world that does not recognise Armenia as a sovereign state. This non-recognition stems from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Pakistan has maintained that it will only recognise Armenian independence if Armenia relinquishes its claim to Nagorno-Karabakh and ends its presence in the disputed territory.

The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh is at the core of Pakistan's decision not to recognise Armenia. The war, which lasted from 1988 to 1994, saw the Armenian Armed Forces invade Azerbaijan to support local Armenians' secessionist attempts. Armenia won the war, and the region has remained de facto independent since then, but the conflict remains unresolved.

Pakistan's stance is based on several principles. Firstly, Pakistan does not support the unilateral changing of international borders by force. Secondly, Pakistan disagrees with Armenia's continued occupation of Azerbaijani territory and its refusal to implement UN Security Council Resolutions on Nagorno-Karabakh. Finally, Pakistan strongly condemns the ethnic cleansing of local Azeris by Armenia.

Pakistan has close relations with Azerbaijan, and the two countries are considered "strategic partners". They have enhanced contact between their capitals and steadily increased trade and cooperation. Pakistan was one of the first countries to recognise Azerbaijan's independence in 1991, and it has openly supported Azerbaijan during both the First and Second Nagorno-Karabakh Wars.

In contrast, Armenia and Pakistan have never had formal diplomatic relations. Their relations further deteriorated in 2016 when Armenia vetoed Pakistan's bid for observer status in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Parliamentary Assembly. Additionally, Armenia has expressed support for India in the Kashmir conflict between India and Pakistan.

The latest clashes along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border have brought global attention back to the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. With the Armenia-backed Republic of Artsakh no longer extant and the displacement of ethnic Armenians from the region, it remains unclear what Pakistan's official position will be on establishing diplomatic ties with Armenia.

Azerbaijan-Pakistan military cooperation

Azerbaijan and Pakistan have a unique political relationship that has surpassed territorial boundaries and geographical distances. Pakistan was among the first states to recognize Azerbaijan's independence following the 1991 Soviet collapse. Today, Pakistan is the only country that has not established diplomatic relations with Baku's main foe, Armenia.

The two countries signed a defense agreement in May 2003, which allows Azerbaijani military staff, in particular, special force units, to take part in annual military drills with Pakistani armed forces. As a part of the agreement, Azerbaijani naval personnel participated in the biggest Pakistani-led multinational exercise, AMAN-2013, held in March 2013 in the Arabian Sea.

Beyond joint exercises, military and defense cooperation between Azerbaijan and Pakistan takes the form of continuous dialogue in high-level meetings, as well as military agreements. A military cooperation agreement was signed in February 2014 in Islamabad and updated in 2015 and 2016 during the Working Group Meetings in Baku and Islamabad, respectively.

Azerbaijan, which has been locked into a long-term bloody conflict with Armenia for more than a decade, considers the further development of its defense industry a main priority. Baku, which enjoys Pakistan's full diplomatic support regarding the conflict, is also looking to Pakistan as a source of military hardware.

Azerbaijan is eyeing the JF-17 Thunder (also known as the FC-1 Xiaolong), a multi-functional aircraft jointly developed by Pakistan and China. Although Azerbaijan has expressed interest in importing the JF-17, no formal deal has been reached yet. Nevertheless, the Pakistani Ministry of Defense was invited to demonstrate the JF-17 at the 2016 Azerbaijan International Defense Exhibition (ADEX-2016) for the first time. During the exhibition, Minister of Defense Industry Yavar Jamalov repeatedly showed interest in importing new fighter jets.

In addition to the JF-17, officials in Baku may also seek to purchase MFI-395 Super Mushshak trainer jets. Azerbaijan is also looking to start the joint production of small firearms, guided munitions, and anti-tank missiles.

The main reason driving Pakistan-Azerbaijan politico-military cooperation is the fact that Baku is still dealing with an unresolved territorial conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Azerbaijan's government does not hide the fact that it wants to muster all possible backing to resolve the conflict. In the case of Pakistan's own territorial dispute with India, Baku "fully supports the settlement of the Kashmir problem based on the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council," as President Ilham Aliyev said during a joint press conference with Sharif in Baku.

Despite differences between their militaries and defense industries, Azerbaijan-Pakistan military cooperation makes a significant contribution to regional security. Both countries are concerned about border security and the growing threat of global terrorism.

Azerbaijan and Pakistan are considered "strategic partners" by officials of both countries. In March 2013, they stated that they "enjoy strategic partnership relations."

Azerbaijan-Pakistan diplomatic relations

Azerbaijan and Pakistan have enjoyed strong diplomatic relations since the Republic of Azerbaijan became independent following the collapse of the USSR in 1991. Pakistan was the second country to recognize Azerbaijan, after Turkey, on 12 December 1991.

The two nations are considered "strategic partners", with embassies in each other's capitals. Both countries have been enhancing contact between their respective capitals, Baku and Islamabad, and trade and cooperation have steadily grown.

In March 2013, officials from both countries stated that Azerbaijan and Pakistan "enjoy strategic partnership relations". This was reiterated by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in September 2022, who expressed his satisfaction with the development of bilateral relations with Pakistan.

Azerbaijan and Pakistan have continuously backed each other on various international forums and matters of national interest, such as the Kashmir conflict, the Cyprus issue, and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Pakistan is the only country in the world that does not recognize Armenia as a sovereign state due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

In recent years, there has been a focus on strengthening military ties between the two countries. Pakistan, one of the owners of nuclear weapons with a highly developed military industry, has trained about a hundred Azerbaijani military units over the past decade. In 2014, the countries signed an agreement on mutual military cooperation. Azerbaijan has also approached Pakistan with wishes to further expand cooperation in the fields of joint production of defence products.

In addition to diplomatic and military relations, there are also cultural connections between Azerbaijan and Pakistan. There is a special branch of the language department at Baku State University dedicated to the study of Urdu. Furthermore, the city of Ganja in Azerbaijan has been twinned with the Pakistani city of Multan.

Overall, the diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Pakistan have been characterized by mutual support and cooperation, with a focus on strengthening ties in various areas, including politics, military, and culture.

Azerbaijan-Pakistan economic relations

Azerbaijan and Pakistan have enjoyed strong economic relations since the early 1990s, when Pakistan became the second country to recognise Azerbaijan's independence. Both countries have embassies in each other's capitals and are considered "strategic partners".

In 1995, the two countries signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of trade and economy, and a protocol on the establishment of a joint commission at the state level. Since then, they have held several summits on improving trade and have seen a steady increase in trade and cooperation.

In 2017, the total transactions between the two countries were estimated to be worth $7.34 million, a 26.55% increase compared to 2016. $5.7 million of this total was accounted for by imports of Pakistani products by Azerbaijan. The trade turnover between the two countries has continued to increase, with the figure for January to September 2018 amounting to $8.34 million, a 22.46% increase compared to the same period in 2017.

In July 2024, the leaders of both countries met and agreed to take their economic relations to new heights, with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announcing that the two countries were ready to sign agreements worth an initial investment of $2 billion in areas of mutually beneficial projects, including energy, connectivity, infrastructure, and the defence industry.

Azerbaijan and Pakistan have also agreed to import and export various oil and gas products, with Azerbaijan aiming to strengthen its relations with Pakistan in the field of energy due to its lack of energy resources.

In addition to economic relations, the two countries also have strong military and cultural ties and support each other on various international matters of national interest.

Azerbaijan-Pakistan cultural relations

Azerbaijan and Pakistan have a strong cultural relationship, with both countries recognising each other as "'strategic partners'. This is due, in part, to the fact that Pakistan was the second country to recognise Azerbaijan's independence after the collapse of the USSR in 1991.

The two countries share a border, similar cuisine, and a majority of people in both practice the same religion.

In the early 20th century, more than 100,000 people in Pakistan (then British India) died of a deadly disease. Azerbaijani millionaire and philanthropist Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev bought and sent more than 300,000 ampoules of plague inoculation to Pakistan at his own expense. This played a major role in the victory over the plague in Pakistan. As a result, the Pakistani people have recognised Azerbaijan as a brotherly state.

In 1996, the Joint Declaration on the twinning of the Azerbaijani city of Ganja with the Pakistani city of Multan was adopted. In 2004, the book "On the works of the prominent Azerbaijani thinker Jalil Mammadguluzadeh" was published in Islamabad, in English and Urdu.

In 2005, an earthquake occurred in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan. Azerbaijan, led by Ilham Aliyev, rendered assistance to the affected country by providing one and a half million dollars in aid. On the initiative of the chairman of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, construction of a secondary school began in the rural area of Rara, in Muzaffarabad. Its grand opening was held in February 2008. The Fund also allocated funds for the construction of a new block of the medical clinic of the Khyber Eye Foundation in Peshawar.

In 2012 and 2018, Heydar Aliyev Foundation provided aid to several local Pakistani social welfare institutions and charitable organisations such as Hamza Foundation and Khayber Eye Foundation. The Foundation also issued funds for the construction of a water supply scheme in Dera Ismail Khan District and arranged free treatment at different hospitals in Peshawar. Moreover, the stipends of more than 30 deserving students of 12 Pakistani universities and the Rara Girls School are paid by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

There is a special branch of the language department at Baku State University specifically dedicated to the study of Urdu.

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