Islamabad: Pakistan and Iran on Monday agreed to continue working closely to enhance mutual understanding and build a strong foundation for economic and strategic cooperation in the region.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the agreement was reached during a meeting between Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi in Islamabad.
During the meeting, Dar welcomed the Iranian delegation and highlighted the historical, cultural, and religious bonds that unite the two neighboring nations. He expressed appreciation for the positive momentum in Pakistan-Iran relations and emphasized the need to expand cooperation in key areas including trade, energy, border security, and regional connectivity. The two dignitaries exchanged views on major regional and international developments.
The Deputy Prime Minister shared Pakistan's serious concerns over the prevailing tensions in South Asia as a result of India's provocative behavior since the Pahalgam incident. "He firmly rejected unsubstantiated attempts to implicate Pakistan in the incident, reiterating Islamabad's call for an international, transparent, and impartial investigation to establish the facts," said Foreign Office. He further noted that such allegations appear to be a tactic to divert global attention from the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
Emphasizing that Pakistan has consistently denounced terrorism in all its forms, Dar underscored the country's frontline role in the fight against terror and the significant sacrifices it had made in this struggle. The Iranian Foreign Minister conveyed cordial greetings from the Iranian leadership and reaffirmed Tehran's desire to further deepen bilateral relations with Pakistan.
The two sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to peace and stability in the region and agreed to continue working closely to enhance mutual understanding and build a strong foundation for economic and strategic cooperation in the region, the release by Foreign Office added. The visit by the Iranian FM comes amid escalating tensions between the neighboring archrivals India and Pakistan after Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir region killing at least 26 tourists.