Tehran, Islamabad adamant in deepening ties: Pakistan
TEHRAN- Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Monday saying about the recent meeting between Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani and Pakistani Foreign Secretary Asad Majeed Khan in Tehran.
According to the website of Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, the 12th round of Pakistan-Iran bilateral political consultations (BPC) was held in Tehran on June 17-18.
It added that Majeed Khan and Bagheri Kani led the respective sides. Ambassador of Pakistan Rahim Hayat Qureshi and other senior officials from both sides also attended the meeting.
The two sides held discussions covering the entire range of bilateral relations and reviewed the status of implementation of decisions of the last BPC.
It was agreed to enhance and diversify bilateral trade and expand cooperation in energy, transport connectivity, education and people-to-people exchanges.
The two sides had a comprehensive exchange of views on the regional situation.
Both sides underscored the significance of regular convening of various institutional mechanisms, including joint economic commission (JEC) and joint trade committee (JTC) to forge closer cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to continue cooperation at multilateral fora, including the UN, OIC and ECO and strengthen dialogue on global and regional issues of common concern.
The Pakistan’s foreign secretary also welcomed the normalization of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
In Tehran, Majeed Khan also interacted with the Iranian intelligentsia and scholars at the leading Iranian think tank, Institute of Peace and International Studies (IPIS) where he highlighted Pakistan’s role toward promotion of peace and development in the region.
During a meeting in Tehran on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said that Iran has no restrictions on expanding ties with Pakistan.
The current state of bilateral ties, Amir Abdollahian said, is good and geared toward future growth.
He also praised Pakistan and Iran’s ongoing bilateral and international cooperation.
The Iranian foreign minister spoke about the history of the two nations’ connections, noting that there were many points of agreement between them, and urged both nations to use all their resources to develop their ties.
Amir Abdollahian cited a recent meeting between Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, during which the leaders unveiled two significant border projects, and maintained that Pakistan served as a crucial link in Iran’s diplomatic relations with its neighbors.