Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Tuesday, reiterated their shared commitment to deepening cooperation across areas of mutual interest, including trade and investment, energy, and people-to-people contacts.
The prime minister held a telephone call with the president, and both leaders expressed satisfaction on the positive trajectory of bilateral relations.
During their most warm and cordial conversation, the two leaders exchanged greetings and reaffirmed the strong fraternal bonds of friendship between Pakistan and Azerbaijan, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
The prime minister conveyed his best wishes to President Aliyev for the success of the upcoming World Urban Forum to be held in Baku next week.
He expressed confidence that the forum, under Azerbaijan’s stewardship, would serve as a valuable platform for advancing the global urban development agenda.
He noted that, most regrettably, pressing commitments would preclude his personal attendance at the event, but he had ensured that Pakistan would be well-represented at the forum.
They also discussed regional developments of common concern, particularly the ongoing peace efforts in the Middle East.
President Aliyev expressed his deep appreciation for Pakistan’s remarkably successful initiatives to bring about a ceasefire between Iran and the US.
This was a clear reflection of the trust and confidence of the international community in Pakistan and its leadership, he added.
The two leaders agreed to maintain close contact and looked forward to their meeting, in person, later this year.
The prime minister also reiterated his cordial invitation to President Aliyev to undertake an official visit to Pakistan at his earliest convenience.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday chaired an important meeting on food security and the fertilizer stock situation in the country, directing authorities to ensure the uninterrupted and timely supply of fertilizer to farmers at all costs.
During the meeting, the prime minister expressed concern over possible disruptions in fertilizer supply chains due to the evolving situation in Gulf countries and instructed relevant authorities to prepare alternative arrangements for fertilizer imports from Central Asian states.
“In view of the impact on the fertilizer supply chain from Gulf countries, alternative supply channels from Central Asian countries should be planned immediately,” the prime minister directed.
Shehbaz Sharif also instructed officials to ensure sufficient fertilizer reserves for both the upcoming Kharif and Rabi crop seasons, stressing that meeting the needs of the agricultural sector remained the government’s top priority to guarantee national food security.
The prime minister further directed that work on projects aimed at increasing local fertilizer production through the establishment of new manufacturing plants should be accelerated.
Officials briefing the meeting informed the premier that uninterrupted supply of natural gas to fertilizer factories was continuing in line with the country’s agricultural requirements to sustain domestic fertilizer production.
The meeting was also told that adequate fertilizer reserves for Kharif crops were currently available in the country.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed relevant ministries and institutions to continuously monitor fertilizer availability and distribution across the country. He also ordered strict action against elements involved in the artificial shortage and hoarding of fertilizer.
Federal ministers Rana Tanveer Hussain, Ahad Khan Cheema, Ali Pervaiz Malik, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani, Special Assistant Haroon Akhtar and senior government officials attended the meeting.
