Baku, 27 November 2022 (TDI): President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan claimed that discussions he had in recent months with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif led to the decision to import rice from Pakistan with a five-year tax exemption.
He spoke recently at the ADA University in Baku during an international conference titled “Along the Middle Corridor: Geopolitics, Security, and Economy.” According to the president of Azerbaijan, they discussed the future of their bilateral relations during these meetings.
He was replying to queries posed by Khalid Taimur Akram, Executive Director of the Center for Global and Strategic Studies of Pakistan, a participant.
According to the president, the decision to impose specific controls on rice from Pakistan was a result of discussions he had with Pakistan’s Prime Minister about the possibility of further enhancing the two countries’ economic and business ties.
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The President claimed that they had made the decision to do this in order to encourage the expansion of bilateral trade between the two states. He added that he had spoken with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif about the kinds of goods they could exchange.
President Aliyev further said, “We are very grateful to Pakistan for continuous support which the country demonstrates with respect to Azerbaijan-Armenia relations. During the times of occupation, during the war, and after liberation of our territories, Pakistan was always with us. And this political and moral support is highly appreciated by the people of Azerbaijan.”
The president remarked that Azerbaijan and Pakistan’s close ties undoubtedly influenced the choice. He also said Pakistan is a priority for rice import first because of the high-quality rice in Pakistan, second, due to friendly relations between the two sides.
The Azerbaijani president continued by stating that Pakistan and his nation have a great relationship.
President Ilham Aliyev claimed to be aware of Pakistan’s Gwadar Port’s development into a significant global center and said it wasn’t difficult for them to link it to their infrastructure since they had to correctly handle the issues of tariffs, the legal system, coordination of regulations, and collaboration.
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