Baku, Islamabad discuss new prospects for military cooperation

On October 28, the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov received the delegation led by the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza paying an official visit to Azerbaijan, Azernews reports.

Before the meeting, the Pakistani delegation visited the Alley of Shehids (Martyrs) and paid tribute to the memory of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

During the official welcoming ceremony at the Azerbaijan Ministry of Defense, following the ceremonial passage in front of the guard of honor, the national anthems of both countries were performed and the Book of Honor was signed in accordance with established protocol.

Colonel General Z.Hasanov extended a warm welcome to the guests and conveyed his pleasure at their presence in Azerbaijan. He highlighted that the military relations between the countries are founded on amicable and fraternal ties. Furthermore, he emphasized the significance of enhancing bilateral and trilateral military cooperation between Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Türkiye.

The Minister of Defense informed the Pakistani delegation about the current operational situation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian conditional border.
General Sahir Shamshad Mirza expressed his gratitude for the warm reception and hospitality. He drew attention to the importance of mutual visits in the development of Azerbaijani-Pakistani military cooperation. The guest congratulated the Minister of Defense on the occasion of 8 November - Victory Day.
The meeting also attended by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Mr. Khazar Farhadov discussed new perspectives of military, military-technical, military-educational cooperation between the 2 countries and other issues of mutual interest.

Subsequently, the First Deputy Minister of Defense – Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijan Army, Colonel General Karim Valiyev met with the Pakistani delegation.

During the meeting held at the General Staff, the current state of military cooperation between the 2 countries was discussed, and an extensive exchange of views took place regarding measures to further strengthen this collaboration. The necessity of increasing the intensity of bilateral and trilateral joint exercises involving servicemen from Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Türkiye was emphasized, along with discussions on the prospects for developing mutual relations.