Islamabad, 18 November 2021 (TDI): Pakistan Minister for Education, Professional Training, National Heritage and Culture, Shafqat Mahmood, met with the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Pakistan, Khazar Farhadov.
The meeting was in Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan, on 16 November. The Pakistan Minister and the Ambassador, discussed bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Azerbaijan regarding education and also in culture.
PAKISTAN-AZERBAIJAN RELATIONS
Pakistan and Azerbaijan established diplomatic relations in 1991, after the collapse of the USSR. Pakistan was one of the first countries that recognize Azerbaijan. These relations have strengthened since, as both have collaborated economically, militarily, socially, and culturally over time.
Pakistan opened an embassy in Baku in 1993. On the other side, Azerbaijan opened theirs in Islamabad in 1997. Both enjoy strategic partnership relations. Their relationship, with regards to the educational and cultural sphere, continues to strengthen.
CULTURAL AND HUMANITARIAN COOPERATION
On cultural and education matters, At Baku State University, there is a branch of the language department that studies the Urdu language. Minister Mahmood, and the Azerbaijan envoy, talked about the progression of these projects and also considered the development of new ones to strengthen ties. In 2004, the book regarding the works of the prominent Azerbaijani thinker Jalil Mammadguluzadeh was published in Pakistan; in English and also in Urdu.
On humanitarian cooperation, the Azerbaijani charitable organization, The Heydar Aliyev Foundation, destined funds to build a modern secondary school in Rara, Muzaffarabad, in 2007.
Azerbaijan donated funds to help Pakistan with the consequences of the flood disaster in 2010 and 2015. Then in 2013, Pakistan recognized Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and condemned the Armenian occupation.
In 2017, Pakistan’s former Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz, assisted the 5th Global Baku Forum. According to Azerbaijan’s embassy in Pakistan, the theme of the Forum was: Future of International Relations: Powers and also Interests.
A delegation of the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan; was present at a joint-organized Seminar. The SAM and Islamabad Policy Research Institute organized the Seminary. The delegation also held several meetings. The Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan was the first meeting.
The second meeting was at the Institute for Strategic Studies, Research and Analysis (ISSRA) at the Pakistani National Defense University. The last meeting was between the SAM delegation and the Center for Global and Strategic Studies.
These cases remark the strong bonds between both countries, as they are committed to improving their alliance. Currently, both countries have signed 34 documents, and around 17 are under consideration.
