ISLAMABAD, Apr 22 : Pakistan and Iran on Monday agreed on joint efforts to eradicate terrorism as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held talks with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and discussed ways to promote bilateral ties at political, economic, trade and cultural levels, months after the two neighbours carried out tit-for-tat air strikes against alleged terrorist hideouts on rival lands.
Raisi, the first head of state of any country to visit Pakistan after the February 8 general elections, was welcomed by Sharif at the Prime Minister House where the Iranian leader inspected the Guard of Honour.
During their talks, President Raisi and Prime Minister Sharif agreed on joint efforts to eradicate terrorism, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.
It added that the two leaders also held discussions to increase trade and communication links between their countries.
In the presence of Raisi and Sharif, the Iranian and Pakistani officials signed eight documents for promoting cooperation in various fields.
Addressing a joint press conference, President Raisi said that Iran and Pakistan have decided to increase the trade volume to USD 10 billion.
“We are committed to strengthening relations at the highest levels. The Economic and trade volume between Iran and Pakistan is not acceptable. We have decided as a first step to increase trade volume between our two countries to $10bn,” Raisi said.
In his remarks, Sharif said the entire Pakistani nation welcomes the visit of the Iranian President as he called for strengthening Pak-Iran ties despite challenges. “We have to keep this relationship strong despite the challenges we both face,” he said.
Sharif said he had detailed discussions with President Raisi on “religious, cultural, diplomatic, investment, and security matters” during their meeting.
He described Raisi as an “ocean of political intelligence and wisdom”, and said Iran would progress further under his leadership.
“Pakistan and Iran can prosper and our borders can see progress,” Sharif said, expressing hope that the shared border can adapt for trade and business.
He expressed hope for the relationship between the neighbours to be “firm and stable”, noting that today was an opportunity to “make this friendship a happy and prosperous one”.
During the joint press conference, Sharif raked up the Kashmir issue and thanked Iran for its stance. However, President Raisi refrained from mentioning Kashmir and instead talked about Iran’s support for those fighting against oppression especially in Palestine.
Prime Minister Sharif and President Raisi planted a tree on the lawn of the Prime Minister House as the world marked Earth Day on Monday.
The two countries signed an MoU for establishment of a special economic zone whilst another was signed for film exchanges and cooperation between the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Organization of Cinema and audio visual affairs of Iran.
The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Ministry of Cooperatives, labours and social welfare of Iran as well as Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority and National Standards Organization of Iran also signed MoUs of cooperation. An MoU was also signed on legal cooperation.
Raisi, who arrived in Pakistan on a three-day official visit to promote cooperation, was accorded a warm welcome at the Islamabad Airport and was received by Housing Minister Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran Mudassir Tipu, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on social media platform X.
Raisi, the first Iranian president to visit Pakistan in eight years, is accompanied by his spouse and a high-level delegation comprising the foreign minister and other members of the Cabinet and senior officials.
Separately, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called on the Iranian President in Islamabad, where they discussed bilateral relations as well as regional and global developments, Radio Pakistan reported.
Raisi and Dar “emphasised the importance of enhanced efforts to further consolidate bilateral relations in diverse fields”, it said, adding that they also “affirmed commitment to peace and constructive dialogue for resolving regional challenges”.
President Raisi has an extensive programme in Pakistan and is scheduled to meet President Asif Ali Zardari, Senate Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani and Speaker of the National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq.
He will also visit Lahore and Karachi and meet with the provincial leadership, the Foreign Office said.
“The two sides will have a wide-ranging agenda to further strengthen Pakistan-Iran ties and enhance cooperation in diverse fields including trade, connectivity, energy, agriculture, and people-to-people contacts,” according to the FO statement.
The talks will focus on regional and global developments and bilateral cooperation to combat the common threat of terrorism.
Pakistan and Iran enjoy strong bilateral ties anchored in history, culture and religion. This visit provides an important opportunity to further strengthen Pakistan-Iran relations, according to the Foreign Office.
Raisi is visiting Pakistan months after the cordial ties between the two neighbours suffered a setback when Tehran shocked Islamabad by carrying out airstrikes against alleged militant hideouts in the restive Balochistan province in January.
Pakistan swiftly responded by using killer drones and rockets to carry out “precision military strikes” against what it called “terrorist hideouts” in Iran’s Siestan-Balochistan province, killing 9 people.
However, the two sides acted fast to restrain tempers through diplomatic channels. Raisi’s visit is expected to further cement their ties. (PTI)
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