Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reiterated that Azerbaijan’s victory over Armenia serves as a beacon of hope for oppressed peoples striving for self-determination, including those in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine.

He stated this during a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the Presidential Palace in Baku on Friday.

Chief of the Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, was also present on the occasion.

The prime minister congratulated the government and people of Azerbaijan on Victory Day, which marks the country’s historic triumph in the 44-day Karabakh Liberation War against Armenia.

He also commended President Aliyev for signing a landmark peace agreement with Armenia earlier this year.

Both leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and agreed to further strengthen their multifaceted cooperation in politics, trade and investment, energy, connectivity, and defence.

Prime Minister Shehbaz extended an invitation to President Aliyev to visit Pakistan at his earliest convenience, which the Azerbaijani leader graciously accepted.

President Aliyev, on his part, thanked Pakistan for its unwavering support for Azerbaijan’s just struggle against the illegal occupation of Karabakh and appreciated Pakistan’s role in promoting regional stability in South Asia.

Earlier, upon arrival at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport, PM Shehbaz was received by Azerbaijan’s First Deputy Prime Minister Yagub Eyyubov, First Deputy Foreign Minister Fariz Razayev, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Qasim Mohiuddin, and members of the diplomatic staff.