Pakistan welcomes Azerbaijan, Armenia peace agreement: PM

Lauds US President’s role in bringing two sides together

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that Pakistan welcomed the historic peace agreement signed between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia at the White House Summit under the auspices of US President Donald J. Trump
“This landmark development marks the dawn of a new era of peace, stability, and cooperation in the South Caucasus, a region that has endured decades of conflict and human suffering. We congratulate President Ilham Aliyev and the people of Azerbaijan on this historic agreement, that reflects wisdom, foresight and sagacity in charting a course for a peaceful future for their region,” the prime minister posted on X account.
He further said that Pakistan had always stood by the brotherly nation of Azerbaijan, and stood with them at this proud moment of their history.
“We also appreciate the facilitation role of the United States, under President Donald Trump, in bringing the two sides together and securing an agreement that opens new avenues for trade, connectivity, and regional integration. It is our hope that this spirit of dialogue will serve as an example for other regions facing protracted conflicts,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Office said this historic moment reflects the wisdom and sagacity of Azerbaijan’s leadership in bringing a prolonged conflict to a peaceful resolution.
“Pakistan acknowledges and appreciates the efforts of President Trump in fostering conflict resolution and promoting peace across various regions of the world,” a statement issued by the Foreign Office Spokesperson said.
“As a steadfast advocate for peace and stability in the Caucasus and beyond, Pakistan hopes this agreement will mark the beginning of a new era of prosperity and enduring peace- not only for Azerbaijan and Armenia but for the entire region.”
On Friday, the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia signed an agreement aimed at ending decades of conflict as they were hosted by President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan shook hands after the US president described the event as “historic”.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Trump said of the agreement, which will reopen some key transport routes between the countries and increase US influence in the region.
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought over Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnically Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan, in the 1980s and 1990s and violence has flared up in the years since.
On Friday, Trump said Armenia and Azerbaijan had promised to stop all fighting “forever” as well as open up travel, business and diplomatic relations.
“We are today establishing peace in the Caucasus,” Aliyev said. “We lost a lot of years being preoccupied with wars and occupation and bloodshed.”
Pashinyan called the signing a “significant milestone” in relations between the two countries.
“Thirty-five years they fought, and now they’re friends and they’re going to be friends a long time,” Trump said at the event.
The White House said that, as part of the deal, the US will also help build a major transit corridor that will be named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity.
The route will connect Azerbaijan and its autonomous Nakhchivan exclave, which are separated by Armenian territory. In the past, Aliyev has demanded that Armenia give his country a railroad corridor to Nakhichevan.