A Strategic Relationship
12 July 2024
Published in: The Nation
The warm welcome given to Azerbaijan’s President upon his arrival in Pakistan for a two-day visit stands out as part of a new growing engagement policy with a country that has long been on Pakistan’s list of friends. President Ilham Aliyev’s visit follows the Azeri Foreign Minister’s visit to Pakistan in May. Azerbaijan fits well into Pakistan’s shifting policy of engagement with nearby countries instead of far-off partners. Baku is not an influential capital but is located at the cusp of Europe and Asia, making it geographically significant.
The country is building up its military capabilities. Now that the active conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh is settled, Azerbaijan understands what it means to have military power. So, while there are other areas of mutual interest, defense capabilities are one of them. With Azerbaijan, Pakistan is meeting its policy goal of diversifying partners and expanding potential economic interdependence. This is in addition to extending support to each other over territorial disputes and claims.
Agreements concluded during this visit will be something worth keeping an eye on. Even if no agreements are made, the joint statement of the visit will outline how both countries plan to expand cooperation. From earlier interactions, energy sector cooperation and tourism emerged as two strong convergence points between Pakistan and Azerbaijan. The vow to deepen ties at the foreign ministers’ level interaction in May culminated in a more specific interaction between the Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan and the Minister of Commerce of Pakistan.
Bearing this trajectory in mind, the visit of the Azeri President is of high value; the possibility of investment cannot be ruled out. In addition to defense cooperation and easy visa policies for Pakistanis, Azerbaijan is now taking an interest in the oil and gas exploration sector of Pakistan. Either way, the partnership is strategic and aligns with Pakistan’s objective of economic cooperation.
