Shehbaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, has announced that the country is prepared to engage in "preferential" trade discussions with Afghanistan and Azerbaijan.

During an economic conference, Sharif stated that talks with Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, and other interested nations regarding preferential trade agreements are ongoing.

However, Pakistani authorities have not disclosed further details regarding preferential trade with Afghanistan and Azerbaijan.

The official also highlighted the benefits of the country's trade with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan through Afghanistan. Additionally, the Prime Minister stressed on the urgent need for measures to enhance the competitiveness of Pakistani products in order to expand export markets.

Dawn, a Pakistani newspaper, reported that the completion of a free trade agreement with Gulf states was also deliberated at this conference.

Furthermore, there was emphasis on the "close monitoring" of transit trade with Afghanistan.

The Pakistani Prime Minister has called for the development and implementation of a comprehensive strategy to assess the performance of customs officials.

This development comes while reports indicate a decline in trade relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan ever since the Taliban took over power in the country.