Tehran, IRNA – Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has welcomed the Monday trip of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to his country, calling the visit a turning point in relations between the two neighboring nations.

Ishaq Dar made the comment in a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian Sunday night on the eve of President Raisi’s two-day visit to Pakistan.

Amirabdollahian said on his part that the two countries share cultural, social and religious commonalities, which serve as an asset in their mutual ties.

President Raisi and his accompanying delegation are set to arrive in Islamabad on Monday. He is scheduled to meet top officials including President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.

Historic visit

In an interview with the IRNA correspondent in Islamabad, which was published on Sunday, Spokeswoman of Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry Mumtaz Zahra Baloch hailed Raisi’s visit to her country as historic.

She said Raisi is the first high-ranking foreign official to visit Pakistan following elections earlier this year and the formation of a new government there, adding that the visit brings the message of peace and friendship for both countries.

During the trip, Iranian and Pakistani officials will hold comprehensive negotiations on mutual cooperation and opening up new fields of collaboration, she explained, adding that fight against terrorism, which is a common threat to both countries, is top on agenda.  

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