Yerevan, August 31, 2025 — Armenia and Pakistan have agreed to establish diplomatic relations following a meeting between Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China.
According to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, the two ministers welcomed the decision and discussed prospects for future bilateral cooperation. At the conclusion of the talks, they signed a joint communiqué formalizing the establishment of diplomatic ties.
From Adversaries to Engagement
Since Armenia’s independence in 1991, Yerevan and Islamabad had no diplomatic relations due to Pakistan’s consistent support for Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. For decades, Armenian national security doctrine even listed Pakistan as a threat to state security.
The decision marks a historic shift. It comes just weeks after Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers initialed a peace agreement in Washington on August 8, declaring a framework for regional reconciliation.
Peace Agenda Highlighted
During the talks, Mirzoyan presented Armenia’s broader efforts to secure lasting stability in the South Caucasus, stressing that normalization with Azerbaijan is central to this strategy.
The announcement underscores Armenia’s recent pivot in foreign policy, as it seeks to diversify partnerships and move beyond long-standing hostilities rooted in the Karabakh conflict.
