(MENAFN) Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on Friday, where both leaders agreed to enhance cooperation in key sectors such as trade, energy, connectivity, and defense, according to official reports.

The discussions, held at the Presidential Palace, were also attended by Pakistan’s Chief of the Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.

Sharif expressed gratitude to Aliyev for inviting him to Azerbaijan’s Victory Day celebrations and extended congratulations to the Azerbaijani people on the anniversary of their 2020 Karabakh war triumph. “The victory of Azerbaijan serves as a beacon of hope for oppressed people striving for self-determination, including those in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine,” he said.

Both leaders reviewed the full scope of bilateral ties and reaffirmed their shared commitment to further developing what they described as “multi-layered cooperation” across various fields.

During the talks, Sharif commended Aliyev for reaching a historic peace deal with Armenia earlier this year, while Aliyev thanked Pakistan for its “consistent support” for Azerbaijan’s “just struggle against illegal occupation of the Karabakh region.” The Azerbaijani president also praised Pakistan’s contributions to fostering stability in South Asia.

Sharif extended an invitation to President Aliyev to visit Pakistan, which the Azerbaijani leader “graciously accepted.”

The meeting coincided with Azerbaijan’s commemoration of the fifth anniversary of its Victory Day, celebrating the country’s success in the 2020 Karabakh conflict.

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