Pakistan, Azerbaijan Deepen Economic Partnership at World Urban Forum
The high-level meeting focused on expanding institutional partnerships, enhancing investment ties, and opening new opportunities for collaboration in trade, urban development, agriculture, logistics, tourism, infrastructure, and energy sectors.
Both sides reaffirmed the longstanding friendly relations between Pakistan and Azerbaijan and agreed to transform political goodwill into structured and long-term economic cooperation. A major outcome of the meeting was the formal decision to establish a Joint Working Group to facilitate economic cooperation and investment between Punjab and Azerbaijan.
Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, nominated by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, will lead the working group from the Punjab side. The forum will include relevant government departments and technical experts from both countries to identify priority sectors for collaboration and joint ventures.
According to officials, the working group will focus on organizing Public-Private Partnership (PPP) opportunities, facilitating investor coordination, and accelerating project development. Sector-specific cooperation frameworks are expected to be proposed in infrastructure, housing, tourism, agriculture, and energy, while mechanisms for regulatory facilitation and ease of doing business will also be developed.
The working group is expected to present actionable recommendations within the next few months to convert bilateral discussions into practical investment projects and measurable economic outcomes.
During the meeting, both parties also discussed the possibility of a Preferential Trade Arrangement (PTA) between Pakistan and Azerbaijan aimed at improving market access, reducing trade barriers, and increasing bilateral trade volume.
The discussions also explored investment opportunities for Azerbaijani businesses in smart cities, real estate, hospitality, agri-value chains, logistics, and IT infrastructure across Punjab.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to accelerate follow-up engagements and build a sustainable, long-term framework for economic partnership between Pakistan and Azerbaijan.