ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 22nd Nov, 2018 ) :Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Pakistan, Ali Alizada on Thursday said that there had been a 23% increase in trade between both countries, and visa procedures for Pakistanis had been eased to facilitate travel and tourism.
Speaking to a seminar, Current Geopolitical Trends in the Region and Prospects for Deeper Relations between Pakistan and Azerbaijan, the Ambassador said that in near future, direct flights between both countries were also being planned.
He also highlighted that energy projects and scholarship programmes for Pakistani students were also being implemented.
The seminar was organized by the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI), in collaboration with the Azerbaijan Center for Strategic Studies (Strateji Arasdirmalar M?rk?ziis-SAM) here, a press release issued by IPRI said.
He stressed that research exploration was an important part of Azerbaijan-Pakistan relations, which presented numerous opportunities to both countries, especially for their think tanks to work together and increase knowledge about each other.
“Pakistan is a strategic, brotherly country and the government and people of Azerbaijan are always ready to improve and strengthen relations,” he said.
Delegates from Azerbaijan and Pakistan while speaking on the occasion said that Pakistan-Azerbaijan bilateral relations transcend geographical boundaries and distance, characterized by shared values and common outlook on various regional and global issues based on confidence, mutual trust and respect.
They said both shared common regional and global challenges and threats in the current geopolitical trends and needed greater cooperation to maximize each other’s potential to overcome them.
Both countries need to increase people-to-people contacts through tourism and initiating direct flights while Pakistan-Azerbaijan trade is minuscule compared to its potential and needs to be improved through greater interaction between their Chambers of Commerce and Industry, they added.
They said that terrorism and drug trafficking was a common challenge and both Pakistan and Azerbaijan should develop joint mechanisms to deal with these mutual threats
