- PM, Azri President renew commitment to deepen bilateral engagement
- PM Shehbaz Sharif reaches Kazakh capital to attend 6th Summit CICA
ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN: Pakistan and Azerbaijan on Wednesday agreed to hold fast-track discussions on energy collaboration between the two countries through robust engagement.
The bilateral relations were discussed in a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in which the two sides renewed their commitment to intensify and deepen bilateral engagement in diverse areas of mutually beneficial cooperation.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif meets President of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev on the sidelines of CICA 2022, at Astana Kazakhstan.#PakPMatCICA#CICASummit2022 pic.twitter.com/wH6o5JE7Wy
— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) October 12, 2022
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Sixth Summit of Conference for Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) being held here.
Both leaders reviewed the progress of various ongoing initiatives for promoting connectivity, trade and investment.
During the meeting, the prime minister underlined the need for fostering close cooperation between the two countries in the field of energy, which was a high-priority area for his government.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif being received by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Kazakhstan Yerulan Zhamaubayev upon his arrival in Astana on 12th October, 2022.#PakPMatCICA #CICASummit2022 pic.twitter.com/Fzs7ubDrxq
— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) October 12, 2022
Shehbaz Sharif informed the Azeri president that he had nominated the Minister of State for Petroleum as the focal point for bilateral energy cooperation between Azerbaijan and Pakistan who visited Baku during the last month.
He also proposed leadership-level consultations in Islamabad aimed at advancing Regional Connectivity which was received positively.
Both leaders reviewed the close and cordial bilateral ties, with a view to further enhance cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, education, information technology, security, agriculture, connectivity and energy.
The prime minister also briefed President Aliyev on his government’s efforts to rehabilitate the millions of flood-affected people in Pakistan and restore their livelihoods, damaged by the unprecedented climate change-induced natural disaster.
He underscored that damage to standing crops and the inability to cultivate in the upcoming sowing season had exacerbated the threat of food shortage in the country.
He said the import of urea was essential to avert this danger and revive the agricultural produce in the country. President Aliyev assured him of Azerbaijan’s full support in this context.
The two leaders also discussed regional and global issues of common interest.
Prime Minister Shehbaz appreciated Azerbaijan’s steadfast position on Jammu and Kashmir and its valuable role as a member of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s principled support to Azerbaijan on former Nagorno-Karabagh and appreciated President Ilham Aliyev’s endeavors for bringing long-term and sustainable peace in the South Caucasus.
This was the second interaction between the two leaders as earlier they met on the sidelines of SCO in September 2022 at Samarkand, Uzbekistan and afforded a productive opportunity for catalyzing multifaceted bilateral economic engagement in keeping with the great tradition of amity and cooperation.
PM arrives in Kazakhstan to participate in CICA summit
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday arrived in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana to participate in the 6th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), being held on 12-13 October.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif departs for his two-days official visit of Kazakhstan from Islamabad to participate in the 6th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA)#PakPMatCICA#PMShebbazAtCICA#CICASummit2022 pic.twitter.com/szbFpNIiop
— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) October 12, 2022
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Kazakhstan, Yerulan Zhamaubayev received PM Sharif at the Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport.
The prime minister was accompanied by members of the cabinet and senior officials. During his stay in Astana, PM Sharif will meet the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and also attend the banquet hosted by President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in honour of leaders of the CICA member states.
On the sidelines of the summit, the prime minister will hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of various CICA member States aimed at fostering greater cooperation, particularly in the fields of trade, and investment.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has departed for Kazakhstan to participate in the 6th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).
— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) October 12, 2022
Prior to his departure from Nur Khan Airbase this morning, PM Sharif in a tweet stressed a greater need to promote engagement and understanding to form win-win partnerships among the countries in Asia.
“I believe CICA is capable of shaping a new configuration of economic cooperation and security in Asia through greater connectivity,” he said.
Leaving for Kazakhstan 🇰🇿 today to attend the 6th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA). I believe CICA is capable of shaping a new configuration of economic cooperation & security in Asia through greater connectivity.
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) October 12, 2022
Earlier, the Foreign Office in a statement said, ”The Prime Minister’s participation in the CICA Summit attests to the importance attached by Pakistan to promoting connectivity and economic cooperation in Asia, in keeping with the objectives enshrined in the CICA Charter.”CICA is an intergovernmental process comprising 27 countries from all across Asia.
Established in 1992, it focuses on promoting peace, security, and socio-economic development in the Asian continent. Pakistan is one of its founding members.
CICA offers an invaluable platform for advancing the objectives of regional stability and prosperity through dialogue and win-win cooperation.
It promotes confidence-building measures under five broad domains: economic dimension, environmental dimension, human dimension, new challenges and threats, and military-political cooperation.
