ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday congratulated Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the landmark peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, hailing the development as a historic turning point for the South Caucasus and a gateway to regional prosperity.
The prime minister received a telephone call from President Aliyev in which the two leaders discussed the peace accord, bilateral relations, and regional connectivity prospects, his office said in an official handout.
During the “warm and cordial” conversation, Shehbaz lauded Aliyev’s “visionary role” in ending the decades-long conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, describing it as “a mutually beneficial end to one of the most intractable disputes in the region.”
He said the peace agreement would “usher in a new era of stability and economic opportunity for the Caucasus.” The prime minister also commended the role of US President Donald Trump in facilitating the deal.
Azerbaijan and Armenia have fought bitter wars over Nagorno-Karabakh — a mountainous Azerbaijani region, first in the early 1990s after the collapse of the former Soviet Union and again in 2020. Azerbaijan regained territory in a rapid 24-hour offensive in September 2023.
This prompted fresh diplomatic efforts to secure lasting peace. The US-brokered accord aims to normalize ties between the two countries, paving the way for expanded trade, transport, and energy cooperation after decades of hostility.
