Minister: Pakistan-Azerbaijan ties should expand beyond military cooperation

Cooperation between Pakistan and Azerbaijan should not be limited to the military sphere, and ties and interaction between the peoples of the two countries should also be strengthened, Chaudhry Salik Hussain, Pakistan's Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, said in a comment to Report's Turkish bureau.

Hussain, who attended the First Forum of Muslim Diaspora of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries in Ankara, said the participation of 48 out of 57 Muslim countries in the international event was a very positive indicator.

"The first international initiative launched at Türkiye's initiative deserves high praise. Almost all Muslim countries have large diasporas, but apparently no one had previously considered such an idea. The next step should be closer cooperation among us. For example, if one country needs labor, another Muslim country can provide assistance and support," he said.

Hussain also spoke about his meeting with Fuad Muradov, Chairman of Azerbaijan's State Committee on Work with Diaspora, expressing Pakistan's solidarity with Azerbaijan in all areas.

"Before this meeting, I had not realized that there were so many areas for cooperation with Azerbaijan. We exchanged many ideas about how our diasporas can help and support each other, as well as ways to strengthen the presence and activities of our diasporas in other countries around the world," he said.

He stressed that Muradov had invited him to visit Azerbaijan at the end of the year.

"We will be able to discuss new areas of cooperation in the field of diaspora affairs. In Baku, we will sign a Memorandum of Cooperation. This document will allow us to significantly expand our interaction," the minister said.

Hussain also recalled that Pakistan has always supported Azerbaijan on the Karabakh issue and will continue to do so in the future at both regional and international levels.