On August 31, Armenia and Pakistan signed a Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations after decades of strained relations.
Following a meeting in Tianjin, China, on the sidelines of the CSO summit, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar signed the document, reports the Armenian Foreign Ministry (MFA).
The interlocutors noted with satisfaction the decision to establish diplomatic relations between Armenia and Pakistan and discussed prospects for developing bilateral cooperation. Touching upon regional developments, Ararat Mirzoyan presented Armenia’s efforts to establish lasting peace in the South Caucasus and, in this context, emphasized that peace has been achieved between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In this regard, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar congratulated Armenia’s Foreign Minister. Minister Mirzoyan also touched upon other agreements reached in Washington on August 8.
The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Pakistan exchanged views on engagement on multilateral platforms, including the UN and the SCO.
By signing the Communiqué, Armenia and Pakistan established diplomatic relations. The two Governments are desirous of enhancing friendly relations in accordance with the UN Charter, including the principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-aggression, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality, mutual benefit, and peaceful co-existence.
The Governments of Armenia and Pakistan have agreed to exchange Representatives and to provide each other with all the necessary assistance for the performance of diplomatic relations on a reciprocal basis in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 and international customary practices.
On August 29, two days before the signing, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan held a phone call with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar. The two sides discussed the issue of establishing diplomatic relations. In posts on X, Mirzoyan called it an “important” conversation and said they discussed the establishment of diplomatic relations “both bilaterally & on multilateral platforms.” Ishaq Dar confirmed that they agreed to consider establishing diplomatic ties and welcomed the Washington accords signed between Armenia and Azerbaijan on August 8, calling them “an important milestone toward establishing peace in the region.”
As previously reported on August 14, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Baku Qasim Mohiuddin said that Islamabad would only recognize Armenia if Azerbaijan agreed, leaving Pakistan the world’s only nation not to recognize Armenia’s statehood. The envoy told Report.az that Pakistan’s stance stemmed from what he described as the “illegal occupation of Azerbaijani territories” by Armenia. He stated: “This is an expression of love, respect, and solidarity with brotherly Azerbaijan. We have followed this policy for three decades, and any changes will come only after consultations with our Azerbaijani friends.”
For three decades, Pakistan stood alone in refusing to recognize Armenia’s statehood, isolating itself diplomatically despite Armenia’s universal recognition since 1991. Pakistan historically spurned relations with Armenia and supported Azerbaijan during the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) conflict. In 2015, it declared that recognizing Armenia’s independence was contingent on the withdrawal of Armenian forces from Artsakh, and in 2016, Yerevan opposed Pakistan’s request to join the Moscow-backed CSTO military alliance.
By clinging to this decades-old policy, Pakistan placed itself in complete diplomatic isolation, standing apart from the rest of the international community in its refusal to acknowledge Armenia’s statehood.
