TEHRAN – Hossein Amir Abdollahian, the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, has affirmed that Iran and Pakistan are committed to preventing terrorists from threatening the security of both nations.

In his trip to Islamabad on Monday, Amir Abdollahian was warmly received at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan by his Pakistani counterpart. 

Following the welcoming ceremony, bilateral talks between the foreign ministers of Iran and Pakistan commenced, with delegations from both countries participating in subsequent discussions.

After the discussions with the caretaker minister for Foreign Affairs of Pakistan Jalil Abbas Jilani, the Iranian diplomat declared in a joint press conference that few countries globally share as many cultural, geographical, and historical ties as Iran and Pakistan. “The absence of territorial or border disputes has been a noteworthy aspect of the relationship between Iran and Pakistan,” Amir Abdollahian added.

He expressed, “Our relations underscore that we are a united nation across two different geographies, with Pakistan's security being synonymous with Iran's and vice versa.”

Emphasizing mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, Amir Abdollahian stated, “Today, here in Islamabad, we boldly announce, alongside Jilani, that Iran and Pakistan will not allow terrorists to jeopardize the security of our two countries.”

He added, “In recent years, both nations have made significant sacrifices in the name of security. Terrorists in the border areas of Iran and Pakistan are undoubtedly orchestrated and managed by third-party countries with ill intentions toward both Iran and Pakistan.”

During this visit, the foreign ministers of the two countries agreed to “establish a high-level constructive mechanism at the level of foreign ministers of the two countries.” Pakistan Foreign Minister Jilani said the mechanism would “meet alternatively in both Iran and Pakistan regularly to oversee the progress that is being made in various areas of cooperation.”

Jilani added that Islamabad and Tehran agreed to “cooperate to fight terrorism in our respective areas.” He further said that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has been invited to Pakistan.

During this trip, Amir Abdollahian also engaged in negotiations that strengthened the comprehensive collaboration between the two neighboring, brotherly, and friendly nations. Discussions covered various areas, including trade, industry, science, education, security, and energy. Emphasis was placed on all-encompassing cooperation. 

The Iranian foreign minister’s one-day official trip to Islamabad, also included meetings with Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, aiming to address the joint efforts to counter terrorist groups along shared borders and work towards enhancing security, tranquility, and sustainable development for the people on both sides of the border.

Furthermore, Amir Abdollahian met with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, General Syed Asim Munir. They engaged in discussions concerning recent developments in bilateral relations, with a specific focus on enhancing security and border cooperation. During this meeting, both parties exchanged opinions on regional matters, addressing Israel's ongoing war crimes in Gaza against the Palestinian people. The meeting included the presence of various Pakistani military officials, members of the Iranian delegation accompanying the foreign minister, Iran's Ambassador to Islamabad Reza Amiri Moqaddam, and Pakistan's military attaché Mostafa Qanbarpour. 

This trip marks the third visit of Amir Abdollahian as the Minister of Foreign Affairs to Pakistan since the beginning of the current Iranian administration. In the summer of 2023, Amir Abdollahian led a high-ranking political-economic delegation on a two-day visit to Islamabad and Karachi.

Ties between Tehran and Islamabad seemed to experience a short period of testiness after Iran targeted two main bases of the so-called Jaish ul-Adl terrorist group in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan and the latter responded by striking Iranian positions near the border. Islamabad said it had struck the residence of Pakistani separatists while Tehran confirmed that no Iranian national was killed during the attack.

Officials from both countries expressed respect for their neighbor’s sovereignty and said that they are willing to engage in dialogue to cooperate for a more intense fight against terrorism.  

This visit reflected the deep-rooted and multifaceted relationship between Iran and Pakistan.