- Leaders held hands in a show of unity, symbolising strong ties among Pakistan, Turkiye, and Azerbaijan
KHANKENDI, AZERBAIJAN: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev exhibited unprecedented unity and shared warm moments by engaging in a friendly stroll together in Khankendi, Azerbaijan, following the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) summit.
The Azerbaijani president briefed the prime minister and the Turkish president about Khankendi and its historic buildings, the Prime Minister’s Office Media Wing said in a statement on Saturday.
The three leaders engaged in an informal and pleasant conversation during the walk.
As a symbolic gesture of unity, the leaders held hands to express the exemplary fraternal relations and solidarity among Pakistan, Türkiye, and Azerbaijan.
Later, President Aliyev personally drove Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Shusha for a luncheon.
In a separate development on the sidelines of the ECO summit on Friday, Pakistan and Azerbaijan signed a landmark agreement for a $2 billion Azerbaijani investment in Pakistan’s economy, marking a significant boost to bilateral ties.
The agreement was finalised in the presence of PM Shehbaz, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Azerbaijan’s Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov.
The investment pact follows discussions held between PM Shehbaz and President Aliyev, and sets the stage for a more detailed memorandum of understanding, expected to be signed during President Aliyev’s upcoming visit to Pakistan.
Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged stronger regional cooperation in view of increasing geopolitical tensions, including the Iran-Israel conflict and Indian hostility towards Pakistan, stressing that the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) offered the country its “best hope” for a unified response.
Addressing the 17th ECO Summit in Azerbaijan’s city of Khankendi, the prime minister said two recent events—the Iran-Israel war and the India-Pakistan conflict—showed that “the forces of instability and chaos continue to destabilize our region for geopolitical agendas.
“The evolving global landscape has made regional cooperation even more essential,” PM Shehbaz said while addressing the 10-nation Eurasian bloc. “ECO represents our best hope, and Pakistan is a proud partner in these collective efforts.”
Later, the Prime Minister held productive meetings with President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and discussed matters of regional and mutual interest, state media reported.
