ISLAMABAD: Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said on Sunday that Islamabad and Baku are deepening their bilateral relations within the framework of a trilateral partnership involving Pakistan, Turkiye, and Azerbaijan.
The Azeri president made the remarks during a meeting with Pakistan’s Punjab province Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in Baku, where she is on a three-day visit representing Pakistan at the 13th UN World Urban Forum (WUF13).
“During the meeting, the sides commended the development of fraternal relations and strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Pakistan,” said a statement issued by the Azeri president’s office.
During the meeting, “They discussed cooperation in political, economic, diplomatic, defense, and other fields, while also highlighting the importance of interregional cooperation and the strong potential for further expanding trade ties.”
President Ilham Aliyev received Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Punjab Province.https://t.co/8JA3ABAglY pic.twitter.com/PJJwulBR6Z
— Ilham Aliyev (@presidentaz) May 17, 2026
President Ilham Aliyev also emphasized that Azerbaijan-Pakistan relations are currently developing within a trilateral framework involving Azerbaijan, Turkiye, and Pakistan, it added.
It was also highlighted during the meeting that “centres based on Azerbaijan’s ‘ASAN Khidmet’ experience have been established in Pakistan”.
“Expressing satisfaction with participating in the 13th session of the UN World Urban Forum (WUF13), the Chief Minister thanked President Ilham Aliyev for the invitation and praised the excellent organization of the event,” the statement read.
“She emphasised that important global issues related to urban planning would be discussed in Baku,” the presidency said.
“Noting that the beauty of Baku had deeply impressed her, Maryam Nawaz Sharif described the Azerbaijani capital as a remarkable example of harmony between culture and modern urban planning,” it added.
The chief minister said that during her trip, she visited the grave of Azerbaijan’s founder, Heydar Aliyev, and honoured his memory with deep respect and reverence.
CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif Meets Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev!
🇵🇰🇦🇿CM Maryam Nawaz met President Ilham Aliyev and conveyed greetings from Nawaz Sharif and PM Shehbaz Sharif.#MaryamNawazInBaku#ApniChhatApnaGhar pic.twitter.com/VpggxwKzRo
— PMLN (@pmln_org) May 17, 2026
Maryam to address UN World Urban Forum
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz will represent Pakistan at the UN Urban Forum Leaders Summit on Sunday, where she is set to present the country’s vision for safe, resilient, and inclusive cities, according to Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, who is accompanying her.
On Monday, CM Maryam will inaugurate the Pakistan Pavilion, highlighting Punjab’s transformative initiatives, including the Apni Chhat Apna Ghar programme—one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing affordable housing projects, with 160,000 loans approved. Aurangzeb noted that over 100,489 families have already moved into homes they can finally call their own.
Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif arrived in beautiful Baku, Azerbaijan yesterday, where she paid tribute at the Alley of Martyrs and visited the historic Alley of Fame.
She will shortly be meeting the President of Azerbaijan is Ilham Aliyev.
Today, she will represent… pic.twitter.com/jEu1oeZQWH
— Marriyum Aurangzeb (@Marriyum_A) May 17, 2026
Earlier this week, President Ilham Aliyev spoke with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who conveyed his best wishes for WUF13. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that, under Azerbaijan’s stewardship, the forum would serve as a valuable platform to advance the global urban development agenda.
The two leaders also agreed to maintain close contact and look forward to meeting in person later this year.
