Tehran, IRNA – Head of the Iran-Pakistan Parliamentary Friendship Group Fada Hossein Maleki says the two countries have made consistent efforts to promote peace and stability in the region over the past years.
In an interview with IRNA on Saturday, Maleki highlighted Iran’s enduring support for Pakistan and the deep historical and cultural ties between them. The interview was conducted ahead of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Tehran in the coming days.
Maleki, who represents the city of Zahedan in the Iranian Parliament, said that Tehran-Islamabad diplomatic and military engagements have focused on regional stability, adding that the two sides can also have trade and economic cooperation as they share long borders.
The lawmaker said that Iranian and Pakistani officials had agreed during previous talks that commercial and industrial towns would be established at the border areas in order to boost security and promote economic exchanges.
Maleki also referred to tensions between India and Pakistan in the past few weeks over an attack on tourists in Indian-controlled Kasmir. He said that the tensions de-escalated with the help of Iran and several more countries, and added that Tehran has always called on New Delhi and Islamabad to refrain from any escalation as the region is already prone to crises.
During Sharif’s visit to Iran, talks will cover a host of issues including Pakistan-India conflict, Iran-U.S. negotiations, Pakistan’s relations with Saudi Arabia, and trilateral cooperation between Iran, Pakistan, and China, the Iranian lawmaker said.
According to Pakistan’s foreign ministry, Sharif will pay an official visit to Turkey, Iran, the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan from May 25 to 30.
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