Minister: Pakistan to continue developing friendly relations with Azerbaijan

Pakistan will continue to develop friendly and fraternal relations with Azerbaijan, Shafqat Mahmood, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training, and Federal Minister for National History and Literary Heritage, said during a meeting with Azerbaijani ambassador to Pakistan Ali Alizade, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani Embassy in Pakistan.

Recalling his visit to Azerbaijan, Shafqat Mahmood emphasized the country's rapid advancement, and pointed out the importance of further developing friendly and fraternal relations with Azerbaijan and strengthening the existing trust between the countries.

In his turn, Ali Alizade said that Azerbaijan has been facing the aggressive policy of Armenia for more than 30 years. He added that Nagorno-Karabakh and 7 adjacent districts of Azerbaijan are still under occupation and that, despite these hardships, the country manages to develop all spheres including science, education and culture.

He noted that Urdu, the national language of Pakistan, is taught at Baku State University and that the number of Pakistani students studying in Azerbaijan is growing. He went on to say that Azerbaijani students are also interested in obtaining higher education at universities in Pakistan and informed that students and specialists from both countries are periodically involved in exchange programs. The ambassador pointed out that more efforts would be taken to strengthen bilateral relations.

The meeting participants emphasized the importance of the support provided by Azerbaijan and Pakistan to each other within the framework of regional and international organizations and the need to increase the number of joint projects and reciprocal visits.