In an exclusive interview with IRNA, Nozar Shafiei referred to the visit of Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif to Pakistan and said such meetings are necessary to keep the relations warm.
He said the exchange of visits can also bring the opinions of the leaders of the two countries on bilateral, regional, and international issues closer.
Shafiei further noted that proximity and social similarities are important factors consolidating relations between countries, adding that Iran and Pakistan should increase knowledge about each other’s capacities and needs to be able to play a complementary role for the other country’s economies.
Commenting on the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, known as Peace Pipeline, the former parliamentarian said the Government of Pakistan is not a big obstacle for the implementation of the project, but the fact that the pipeline passes through Pakistan’s Baluchistan, which is unsafe, is a setback.
Bolding out the negative role of the US in this issue, Shafiei said the US impeded the implementation of the project during President Donald Trump’s time and will most probably continue to do so in Joe Biden’s term of office as well. "The US wants to take the epicenter of energy from to southern Asia from central Asia," he added.
Commenting on the issue of peace in Afghanistan, he said that the role of Pakistan and Iran in the peace process is very important and added that Islamabad can balance some of Taliban’s ideas about Iran.
In Doha talks, one of the demands of Taliban was removal of Shia Islam as one of the official religions of Afghanistan. If Shia Islam is ignored the bases of peace will always be shaky in Afghanistan, he said.
He also said that the US may want to stop Pakistan and Iran from getting closer to China, adding that disagreements between Iran and Pakistan are few.
Shafie stressed that the 25-year strategic agreement between Iran and China is a source of anxiety for America.
Touching on the issue of Palestine, he said the normalization of ties with the Zionist regime by certain Arab states can be among the issues to be discussed on Zarif’s trip to Pakistan.
Shafiei added that although Saudi Arabia is unhappy with Islamabad’s lack of participation in the coalition to invade Yemen, Pakistan can have a constructive role in the Yemen War.
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