Islamabad — In a historic breakthrough, Pakistan and Armenia have formally established diplomatic relations, the Foreign Office (FO) confirmed on Sunday.
For decades, Islamabad refrained from recognizing Armenia, largely due to its unwavering support for Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. But a recent peace deal between Baku and Yerevan paved the way for a diplomatic opening.
According to the FO, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan signed and exchanged a joint communiqué in Tianjin, China, on the sidelines of the ongoing Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
Commitment to cooperation
The FO statement described the move as “a historic step forward,” noting that both sides pledged adherence to the United Nations Charter and explored possible avenues of cooperation in economy, education, culture, and tourism.
Dar and Mirzoyan also expressed their desire to collaborate closely at both bilateral and multilateral fora, aiming for shared objectives of peace, progress, and prosperity.
Warm diplomatic messaging
Sharing photos of the signing ceremony on X (formerly Twitter), Dar wrote that he was pleased to formalize ties and echoed the FO’s remarks about upholding UN principles. Mirzoyan, in his own post, highlighted the “readiness to foster constructive engagement” and welcomed the chance for mutually beneficial cooperation.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had welcomed the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace deal, brokered in Washington under the auspices of former US President Donald Trump, calling it a “historic agreement” and reiterating Pakistan’s solidarity with Azerbaijan.
The establishment of relations between Pakistan and Armenia marks a new diplomatic chapter, breaking away from decades of estrangement defined by regional geopolitics.