KARACHI, Pakistan

Azerbaijan on Wednesday awarded Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Gen. Asim Munir its Patriotic War Medal for his exceptional contributions to strengthening bilateral military cooperation, the Pakistani military said.

Azerbaijan’s Deputy Defense Minister Col. Gen. Karim Valiyev presented the medal on behalf of President Ilham Aliyev during a ceremony at Pakistan Army headquarters in Rawalpindi, according to a statement from Inter-Services Public Relations, the army’s media wing.

The medal, established in 2002, is one of Azerbaijan’s top state honors. It is awarded to domestic and foreign servicemen, as well as civilians, for contributions to military cooperation with the Azerbaijani armed forces.

Earlier, Valiyev met Munir to discuss regional and global security, defense collaboration, and joint initiatives to promote peace and stability.

Munir thanked Azerbaijan for “standing together with the people of Pakistan” during past tensions with India. Valiyev praised the Pakistan Armed Forces’ “professionalism and success” in recent hostilities with India.

Both military leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further developing defense cooperation between the two countries.