Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 19
By Seba Aghayeva - Trend:
The development of economic cooperation between the two countries will be the main topic of discussion during Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain's official visit to Azerbaijan, a diplomatic source told Trend Feb. 19.
The source said that President Hussain's official visit to Azerbaijan is scheduled for March 11-14.
"Currently, the governments of both countries are preparing for the visit at a high level," the source said. "In particular, a package of agreements, to be signed during President Hussain's visit to Baku, is being prepared. The agreements will cover a number of areas of Azerbaijan-Pakistan cooperation in the field of economy."
"The sides intend to raise economic cooperation to a higher level," the source said. "The government of Pakistan intends to suggest Azerbaijan cooperating in a number of economic projects."
The source did not specify the projects.
Azerbaijani ambassador to Pakistan Dashgin Shikarov earlier told Trend that Azerbaijan intends to invest in this country's energy sector. The two countries plan to focus on strengthening the bilateral cooperation in trade and economic sphere, especially in the fields of energy and agriculture.
"Azerbaijan has huge oil and gas reserve, as well as experience in the energy sector," the diplomat said earlier. "Pakistan, for its part, has work experience in the spheres of agriculture and dairy production. Thus, both of the countries could cooperate in these spheres to further strengthen the bilateral relations."
The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Pakistan stood at $2.8 million as of 2014, according to the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan.
The political relations between the two countries are at the high level. Both counties have always supported each other on the international arena. Pakistan also supports Azerbaijan's position in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and condemns Armenia's aggressive policy.
Pakistan is the first country to adopt the resolution which strongly condemns the genocide committed by Armenian armed forces against the civilians of Khojaly city and urges the international community to force Armenia to fulfill the resolutions of UN Security Council.
Pakistani Senate recognized the events in Azerbaijan's Khojaly city as genocide on Feb.1, 2012.
Pakistan fully supports Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and hasn't recognized Armenia as an independent state because of the occupation of Azerbaijani lands.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
On February 25-26, 1992, the Armenian armed forces, together with the 366th infantry regiment of Soviet troops stationed in Khankendi committed an act of genocide against the population of the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly.
As a result of the massacre, some 613 people were killed, including 63 children, 106 women and 70 old people. Eight families were totally exterminated, 130 children lost one parent and 25 children lost both. A total of 487 civilians became disabled as a result of the onslaught. Some 1,275 innocent residents were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 people remains unknown.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
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