Pakistani premier to pay maiden visit to Azerbaijan

KARACHI, Pakistan

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will pay a two-day visit to Azerbaijan starting Wednesday, an official statement said on Tuesday.

The prime minister will hold "wide-ranging talks" with President Ilham Aliyev on "key areas of cooperation including trade, investment and energy," the Foreign Ministry said, adding that regional and global issues of mutual concern and cooperation in multilateral forums will also be discussed.

Ministers representing the priority areas will be part of the premier's entourage.

"Pakistan-Azerbaijan relationship is embedded in commonalities of faith, culture and history, and strengthened by mutual trust and convergence of views on regional and global matters," the press release added.

Sharif's maiden visit comes on the heels of a recent agreement between the two allies for provision of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Pakistan's Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik told a news conference in Islamabad early on Tuesday that Baku will supply an LNG cargo every month to Pakistan at a “cheaper price.”

The two countries have increased trade and security cooperation in recent years, with Islamabad backing Baku over its longstanding Karabakh dispute with Armenia.