Baku: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reiterated that the victory of Azerbaijan against Armenia is a beacon of hope for oppressed people striving for self-determination, including the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, and Palestine. He was talking to the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, at the Presidential Palace in Baku on Friday. Chief of the Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, was also present on this occasion.

According to Radio Pakistan, the Prime Minister felicitated the government and people of Azerbaijan on the victory day, which is observed to commemorate the historic victory in the forty-four day long Karabakh Liberation War against Armenia. He also appreciated President Ilham Aliyev for signing the historic peace agreement with Armenia earlier this year.

The two leaders reviewed the whole range of bilateral relationships and agreed to further strengthen their multi-layered cooperation in the fields of politics, trade and investment, energy, connectivity, and defence. Shehbaz Sharif extended an invitation to President Ilham Aliyev to visit Pakistan at his earliest convenience, which he graciously accepted.

On his part, President Ilham Aliyev thanked Pakistan for its consistent support to Azerbaijan in its just struggle against the illegal occupation of the Karabagh region. He also appreciated Pakistan’s role in promoting regional stability in South Asia.