POLITICS
Azeri ambassador hands over $2m-cheque to Pakistani Premier in assistance
Ankara, November 30 (AZERTAC). Azerbaijani ambassador to Pakistan Dashgin Shikarov has handed over a $2million-cheque to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in assistance to flood-affected people in the country’s Sind province.
The Azerbaijani diplomat expressed his condolences over the murder of Pakistani soldiers and officers committed as a result of air attacks conducted by coalition forces in Afghanistan.
Shikarov touched upon social and economic aspects of Azerbaijan-Pakistan relations. He thanked the Pakistani Premier for supporting Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and not recognizing Armenia as a country because of its occupation policy.
Shikarov then congratulated the Premier on the occasion of Pakistan’s election as a non-permanent member to the UN Security Council and thanked for the country’s supporting Azerbaijan’s membership bid in the organization.
The ambassador expressed hope a meeting of an Azerbaijan-Pakistan intergovernmental commission to be held on December 6-7 in Baku will boost the economic ties between the two countries.
The diplomat voiced the importance of direct air communications for the development of trade between the two countries.
Shikarov highlighted cooperation possibilities in the fields of energy, light industry, pharmacy, agriculture, information technologies, construction and tourism.
He invited the Premier to Azerbaijan, expressing confidence the visit would contribute to expanding the bilateral relations.
Premier Gilani emphasized Pakistan’s full support of Azerbaijan in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and thanked Azerbaijan for supporting his country on Kashmir conflict.
Speaking about wide range possibilities for economic cooperation between the two countries, the Premier said that he gave certain instructions to a delegation to attend the meetings of the intergovernmental commission in Azerbaijan.
Gilani thanked Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva, Azerbaijani government and nation for the aid directed to the flood-affected people, as well as for financial assistance during calamities in 2005 and 2010 and for the school built in Kashmir by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.
The Premier said he would visit Azerbaijan in an appropriate time upon the agreement of the diplomatic circles.