Aamir Latif
12 May 2026•Update: 12 May 2026
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday discussed the ongoing Middle East conflict and broader regional developments, as well as bilateral cooperation, an official statement said.
Sharif spoke to Aliyev by telephone to discuss the regional situation as Islamabad continues its efforts to revive stalled direct talks between Washington and Tehran aimed at easing tensions between the two countries, according to the statement.
The two leaders also reaffirmed the “deep fraternal bonds” between Pakistan and Azerbaijan and their shared commitment to further strengthening cooperation in trade, investment, energy and people-to-people ties, a statement from Sharif’s office said.
Sharif conveyed his “best wishes” for the upcoming World Urban Forum in Baku next week and expressed confidence that, under Aliyev’s leadership, the forum would make a meaningful contribution to advancing the global urban development agenda.
He added that Pakistan would be “well represented” at the forum.
Sharif “deeply appreciated” Aliyev’s comments regarding Pakistan’s efforts to advance peace, dialogue and diplomacy in the region.
Pakistan brokered a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran on April 8, followed by talks in Islamabad attended by senior delegations from both countries on April 11 and 12.
However, neither side was able to reach an agreement to bring the conflict to an end.
Since then, the two sides have been exchanging proposals and counterproposals to reach a middle ground and resume a second round of talks aimed at ending the conflict, which has disrupted global energy supplies and daily life across the region.
In a related development, Pakistani and Austrian top diplomats also exchanged views on the evolving regional situation, according to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry.
Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, in a telephone conversation with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, “appreciated” Pakistan’s “constructive” role in promoting dialogue and its mediation between Iran and the United States, in support of regional peace and stability in the region and beyond.
