Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday landed in Azerbaijan’s Lachin District to attend a summit as he continued his four-nation tour to appreciate their support for Pakistan during the recent military confrontation with India.
Starting his expedition on May 25, the premier has already paid a visit to Turkiye and Iran, with Tajikistan his final stop of the trip ending on May 30.
Upon his arrival in Lachin, PM Shehbaz was received by Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Qasim Mohiuddin and other diplomatic staff, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported, citing a PM Office press release.
The prime minister is set to attend the Pakistan-Turkiye-Azerbaijan Trilateral Summit alongside presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ilham Aliyev, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. He is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with the Azerbaijani president.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi have been accompanying the prime minister on the four-nation tour.
In Istanbul, Shehbaz and Erdogan had “reaffirmed their principled support for each other’s core concerns, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute”. In Tehran, the premier expressed his willingness to talk with India to resolve ongoing issues, including Kashmir and water security.
During his visit, PM Shehbaz will have “wide-ranging discussions with the leaders of these countries on an entire range of issues covering bilateral relations and matters of regional and international importance”, the Foreign Office had said earlier.
“He will also have the opportunity to express the deepest appreciation and acknowledgement for the support extended to Pakistan by the friendly countries during the recent crisis with India,” it noted.
While in Tajikistan — likely the last leg of his tour — the premier will also attend the International Conference on Glaciers being held in its capital, Dushanbe, on May 29 and 30.
Support from friendly countries
As tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi escalated, with India launching deadly strikes on Pakistan on May 6, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had conveyed his solidarity to the prime minister and said it supported Pakistan’s “calm and restrained policies”.
Following the tit-for-tat airbase attacks and a US-brokered ceasefire between the two neighbours, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev had “warmly congratulated PM Shehbaz upon Pakistan’s remarkable success”, according to the PM Office.
Iran had also offered to mediate during the escalation and paid a visit to both Islamabad and New Delhi in peace efforts, which were appreciated by PM Shehbaz and the military’s spokesperson.
The diplomatic support voiced by Turkiye and Azerbaijan stoked anger in India as people cancelled their holidays in popular resorts in the two countries.
The moves intensified as Adani group-operated Mumbai and Ahmedabad airports ended the ground handling concession agreements with Çelebi, an Istanbul-headquartered airport.
Small Indian grocery shops and major online fashion retailers also began a boycott of Turkish products ranging from chocolates, coffee, jams and cosmetics to clothing.
