PTA, transit trade pacts boosting Pakistan-Azerbaijan trade volume: Ambassador Qasim

BAKU, Sep 3 (APP): Ambassador of Pakistan to Azerbaijan Qasim Mohiuddin on Thursday said that the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) coupled with the Transit Trade Agreement (TTA) has helped encourage greater volumetric trade between Pakistan and Azerbaijan by enabling both brotherly countries to grant tariff concessions on designated goods.

In an interview with Azerbaijan’s state-run news agency AZERTAC, the envoy said that efforts were currently underway to harmonize and align customs regulations as well as cooperation mechanisms between commercial banks for more efficient and timely settlement of trade transactions.

Acknowledging that the present increase in bilateral trade is not commensurate with the excellent political ties between the two countries, Ambassador Mohiuddin emphasized that active efforts are ongoing to bring the respective business sectors closer.

He noted that since the implementation of the PTA and TTA, there has been a flurry of business-to-business (B2B) engagements both in Baku and in various commercial centers of Pakistan. Leading Pakistani Chambers of Commerce and business associations have regularly visited Baku to meet their counterparts and explore opportunities, while notable Azerbaijani businessmen have similarly visited Pakistan. These welcome engagements are helping private sectors identify concrete opportunities and build sustainable business partnerships, he added.

The ambassador stressed that the enhancement of bilateral trade remains one of the top priorities of Pakistan’s leadership and has gained special attention during Inter-Governmental Commission meetings.

He emphasized that the mutual objective of both nations is to capitalize on their strong political ties to achieve concrete, tangible, and sustained economic cooperation.