"Geopolitical and political relations between Azerbaijan and Pakistan are at a high level. However, we need to do more work to develop cooperation in some areas."
This was stated by Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, in an interview with Pakistan's "PakTVGlobal" television channel within the framework of the Fourth Shusha Global Media Forum.
Main objectives of the Shusha Global Media Forum
Hikmet Hajiyev first discussed the objectives of the Fourth Shusha Global Media Forum:
"The initiative to hold the Shusha Global Media Forum was put forward by President Ilham Aliyev four years ago. The goal was to restore Shusha's past cultural and intellectual role in the South Caucasus and beyond. In Shusha, scientists, academics, journalists, philosophers and poets come together to work on various intellectual ideas and restore the city's former spirit.
The second reason is that Azerbaijan, like brother Pakistan, faces media attacks on the global stage. One of the functions of the Shusha Forum is to counter such attacks and bring facts to the attention of the world public. This happened after the liberation of Azerbaijan's occupied territories. We speak openly with the world. This is direct communication by the President with the international media. This initiative has produced very effective results. There is no question limit here. Any journalist can ask any question they deem appropriate. At the forum held this year, the President of Azerbaijan answered all questions from journalists from different parts of the world.
Moreover, the Shusha Forum is also a platform for intellectual dialogue. Media is changing dynamically. Artificial intelligence, social networks and the media ecosystem in general are changing rapidly. We all face disinformation. Therefore, we must learn from each other, share our experiences and put forward new proposals. This is one of the main objectives of the Shusha Forum."
President Ilham Aliyev's open dialogue and strategic communication model
According to Hikmet Hajiyev, President Ilham Aliyev demonstrated transparency and strategic communication at the Shusha Global Media Forum:
"There was no restriction or censorship there. Everyone was free to ask any question they wanted. This was Azerbaijan's strategic communication, and I am proud to serve as an assistant to the President. We learn something from his wisdom every day. The President's approach to the media is one of these things. The head of state demonstrates the same approach in economics, foreign policy, social and military matters. The reality is that Azerbaijan is a strong state and Azerbaijan has a strong leader. The President's response to questions at the recent forum was not just communication; it was a real dialogue with the international media."
Azerbaijan-Pakistan strategic partnership and fraternal relations
The President's assistant also touched on Azerbaijan-Pakistan relations and expressed satisfaction with the level of bilateral relations:
"There are fraternal relations between Pakistan and Azerbaijan, and we have a strategic partnership. I have also had the honor of witnessing the friendship and mutual deep respect between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Field Marshal Asim Munir and President Ilham Aliyev. When Azerbaijan's territories were under occupation, brother Pakistan showed unwavering support to our country. Pakistan did not establish diplomatic relations with the occupying country and recognized Armenia as an aggressor state. This has remained in the memory of not only the Azerbaijani state but also our people, and we will always value it highly.
At the same time, we are pleased with Pakistan's successes. Recently, during the tensions between the United States and Iran in the Gulf region, Pakistan demonstrated strategic patience and wisdom by creating a mediation platform for resolving the dispute, played an important role in the signing of a memorandum of understanding and reducing tensions. Pakistan demonstrated the qualities of a strong state and strategic foresight. Pakistan's important geopolitical significance in global issues was once again demonstrated. As your brothers, we are very pleased about this. We trust in the capabilities of our Pakistani brothers. The Pakistani state is working to ensure peace, which stems from its sincere commitment to contributing to global and regional peace. This conflict has global implications. If it were not for Pakistan's voice, the dispute could have gone beyond the region's borders and moved to a new stage of escalation. Pakistan's diplomacy should therefore be appreciated. We believe that Pakistan's efforts will yield positive results. At the same time, we must understand that the mediator conveys the message, but the parties make the final decision."
Business relations development potential
Hikmet Hajiyev noted that at the political and geostrategic level, relations between Azerbaijan and Pakistan are at a high level and this demonstrates the political will of both countries. However, there is still much work to be done:
"The leadership of our countries is conducting intensive activities aimed at formalizing institutionalized cooperation between Azerbaijan and Pakistan. But of course, we need to do more work to develop trade-economic, humanitarian-cultural and international relations. We can say with confidence that there is still great potential here. Closer relations should be established between Azerbaijani and Pakistani businessmen. Both countries have great economic potential and broad opportunities. But sometimes lack of information negatively affects our trade and economic relations.
Allow me to give an example. Azerbaijan was importing Pakistani cotton through a third country due to insufficient information and institutionalized business mechanisms. After this issue was brought to the attention of the Azerbaijani government, necessary measures were taken. Pakistani cotton was exempted from customs duties. This further increased the competitiveness of Pakistani cotton in the Azerbaijani market. This is just one example of the progress we can achieve in all areas. We need to better inform businessmen."
The President's assistant also emphasized that tourism relations are developing dynamically:
"We are very pleased about this. Currently, the number of direct flights between Azerbaijan and Pakistan has increased. This is a positive indicator. However, more work needs to be done in cultural and other areas. Media representatives also have an important role to play here. Cooperation between Azerbaijani and Pakistani media should be further expanded. We need to provide our societies with more complete information about each other's culture and business opportunities. My colleague, Pakistan's Minister of Information, also supports this initiative and has done much work for it. Pakistan has a well-developed English-language journalism. In Azerbaijan, we are also working to develop this field, and I think we can benefit from Pakistan's experience in this direction. I am pleased to see that cooperation is developing within the framework of the memorandum signed between 'AzNews' and 'PakTVGlobal' channel. We can say that there are no restrictions on the development of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Pakistan."
