Ishaq Dar, Ararat Mirzoyan Exchange Joint Communiqué to Establish Pakistan-Armenia Relations

Tianjin: The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar today formally exchanged a Joint Communiqué with the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan, thereby establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries. The step marks the first formal engagement between Islamabad and Yerevan since their independence. The exchange took place during their meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) gathering.

During the exchange, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the principles of the United Nations Charter and discussed avenues of cooperation in economy, education, culture, and tourism. They also agreed to work closely at bilateral and multilateral forums to advance their shared objectives of peace, progress, and prosperity.

This development comes just a day after the two foreign ministers held a cordial telephone conversation, where they first agreed to explore the establishment of ties. Ishaq Dar welcomed the recent peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia—brokered in Washington under U.S. President Donald Trump on August 8—as a major step towards regional stability. The accord brought together Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who shook hands after decades of hostility.

Pakistan had until now refrained from relations with Armenia due to its consistent support for Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. However, the peace deal has paved the way for new diplomatic openings. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also termed the accord “a new era of peace, stability, and cooperation in the South Caucasus,” congratulating Azerbaijan while recognizing its significance for the region’s future.

By formally establishing diplomatic ties today, Pakistan and Armenia have set aside decades of distance and opened the door to constructive engagement. Observers see this as not only a turning point in Pakistan-Armenia relations but also a positive signal for broader regional diplomacy.