Armenia and Pakistan establish diplomatic relations

By Minahil Arif

Armenia and Pakistan established diplomatic relations on Sunday with the exchange of a joint communiqué in Tianjin, China.

Both Yerevan and Islamabad agreed to exchange representatives and work on developing a mutual reciprocal relationship. The meeting between Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar took place on the sidelines of the ongoing Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.

A tweet by Armenia's Foreign Ministry official account read that, “The two Governments are desirous to enhance friendly relations in accordance with the UN Charter, including the principles of mutual respect for sovereignty & territorial integrity, non-aggression, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality, mutual benefit & peaceful co-existence.”

The development comes just weeks after Azerbaijan and Armenia agreed to a text for a peace deal. The U.S.-brokered agreement was welcomed by Islamabad, a close ally of Azerbaijan. Shortly after, in a phone call Dar and Mirzoyan discussed the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Armenia. 

Pakistan had not recognized Armenia’s independence following the latter’s independence from the Soviet Union due to the Nagorno-Karabakh War between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the early 1990s.

Pakistan’s foreign office statement highlighted that this marks a historic step for both countries and could open possibilities of collaboration in various avenues, including economy, education, culture, and tourism.