Pakistan PM exchanges Eid greetings with leaders of Azerbaijan, Qatar, Tajikistan
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif exchanged Eid Al-Adha greetings with the leaders of Azerbaijan, Qatar, Malaysia, Tajikistan and Malaysia on Saturday, his office said, vowing to strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation with them.
Pakistan is celebrating Eid Al-Adha, one of the two most important festivals of the Islamic calendar, today, Saturday. Muslims mark the Eid Al-Adha holiday in Pakistan and around the world by slaughtering animals such as sheep and goats, and the meat is shared among family and friends and donated to the poor.
Sharif conveyed Eid greetings to Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, his family and the people of Azerbaijan, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement.
'The two leaders reaffirmed their shared resolve to further strengthen Pakistan-Azerbaijan bilateral cooperation and looked forward to their upcoming interactions, including at the ECO Summit in Azerbaijan in early July as well as during President Ilham Aliyev's visit to Islamabad later this year,' the PMO said.
The Pakistani premier separately spoke to Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to convey his Eid greetings to him. Sharif thanked the Qatari leader for his country's 'proactive diplomacy' and constructive role in de-escalating tensions between Pakistan and India during their conflict in May.
'The two leaders also reiterated their common desire to expand ties between both countries, particularly through mutually beneficial trade and investment,' the PMO said.
The Pakistani prime minister also spoke to Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, thanking him for his hospitality during Sharif's recent visit to Dushanbe.
'The Prime Minister also thanked Tajikistan for its balanced position calling for peace and dialogue, during the recent Pakistan-India crisis,' the statement said.
On bilateral relations, the two leaders expressed satisfaction with the positive trajectory of ties, which were growing steadily across all areas of mutual interest, it added.
Sharif had also spoken to the prime minister of Malaysia earlier in the day to thank him for his support to Pakistan during Islamabad's conflict with New Delhi.
Both leaders discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Malaysia.
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