An aide to Azeri President Ilham Aliyev thanked Pakistan for its unconditional support during a meeting with the country's newly-appointed ambassador to Baku on Tuesday, amid rising tensions with Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
"I'm pleased to meet with distinguished Ambassador of Pakistan Mr. Bilal Haye. Updated him on recent developments and Armenia's missile attacks on Azerbaijan. Thanked for unconditional support of Pakistan for just cause of Azerbaijani people to ensure end of Armenia's occupation," Hikmet Hajiyev said on Twitter.
Earlier last week, praising Pakistan for always standing in solidarity with Azerbaijan and expressing his gratitude, President Ilham Aliyev said, "Pakistan is a country that does not recognize Armenia for its occupation of Azerbaijani lands. This is a true demonstration of brotherhood."
Clashes broke out between the two former Soviet republics on Sept. 27, when Armenian forces targeted Azerbaijani civilian settlements and military positions in the region, leading to casualties.
Relations between the two countries have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Upper Karabakh, or Nagorno-Karabakh, an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan.
Multiple UN resolutions, as well as international organizations, demand the withdrawal of the invading forces.
The OSCE Minsk Group -- co-chaired by France, Russia and the US -- was formed in 1992 to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, but to no avail. A cease-fire, however, was reached in 1994.
Many world powers, including Russia, France, and the US, have urged an immediate cease-fire. Turkey, meanwhile, has supported Baku's right to self-defense.
