Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was awarded an honorary guard at Zagulba Presidential Palace in Azerbaijan on Monday as he began his two-day official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties between the two nations.

President Ilham Aliyev welcomed the Pakistani Prime Minister upon his arrival in the palace, where National Anthems was played in both countries before the formal reception of the Azerbaijan armed forces.

The visit marks Prime Minister Shehbaz’s second trip to Azerbaijan since he assumes office in March 2024. He is accompanied by a high -level ministerial delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister of Handling Jam Kamal Khan and Minister of Investment and Privatization Abdul Aleem Khan .

After receipt, both leaders went to a bilateral meeting, which was followed by conversations at the delegation level. Discussions covered a number of important areas including trade, investment, energy cooperation, defense cooperation and joint efforts to fight climate change.

During the visit, Pakistan and Azerbaijan signed several agreement morandums (Mous) and agreements to increase economic and strategic partnerships. Officials say the agreements will focus on expanding trade, strengthening energy cooperation and improving cultural and diplomatic exchanges.

As part of his engagements, Prime Minister Shehbaz will also participate in Pakistan-Azerbaijan Business Forum, where business leaders from both countries will explore the opportunities for joint ventures and investments.

The forum is expected to facilitate collaboration on business-to-business (B2B) across different sectors.

Pakistan and Azerbaijan share historically close ties, supported by mutual support for the most important global and regional issues.

The visit is seen as a step towards further elaboration of bilateral cooperation and a resulting common financial and strategic goals.