ISLAMABAD(National Times)- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday identified peace and security as the two key objectives for strengthening relations with Pakistan.
He made the remarks while speaking to Pakistan’s newly appointed ambassador, Imran Ahmed Siddiqui, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran after receiving copies of his credentials.
The meeting came as fresh diplomatic efforts were underway to halt the latest round of hostilities between the United States and Iran after an earlier Islamabad-mediated understanding collapsed because of differing interpretations of the memorandum agreed by the two sides, particularly regarding arrangements linked to the Strait of Hormuz.
Following the presentation of his letters of credence, Siddiqui and Araghchi discussed bilateral relations, regional developments and ways to expand cooperation across multiple sectors.
During the meeting, Araghchi thanked Pakistan for its diplomatic role in recent regional developments and said the present moment offered an opportunity to further strengthen ties between the neighbouring countries.
The Iranian foreign minister identified peace and security as the two countries’ shared objectives and stressed the importance of promoting closer bilateral relations.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the longstanding bonds of friendship and expanding cooperation for the mutual benefit of the two neighbours.
Momeni arrives in Pakistan
Iranian Interior Minister Eskander Momeni will hold talks with Pakistani leaders on the US-Iran conflict on Tuesday (today).
Momeni arrived in Islamabad on an official visit on Monday night.
Upon his arrival in Pakistan, the senior Iranian official was received by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
During his visit, Mr Momeni will meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
Earlier reports had suggested that Momeni was likely to engage with Pakistani officials who previously mediated a now-collapsed interim ceasefire between the US and Iran.
Pakistan and Iran share a 900-kilometre border and maintain close historical, cultural and religious links, although their relationship has periodically been tested by cross-border militant activity and regional security challenges.
Islamabad has assumed an increasingly prominent diplomatic role in this year’s US-Iran crisis, hosting talks, relaying messages between the parties and helping broker a temporary understanding earlier this year.
Beyond diplomacy, Pakistan and Iran have sought to deepen economic cooperation through higher bilateral trade, greater connectivity between Pakistani ports and Iran, and renewed discussion of the long-delayed Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline.
Progress on many of those initiatives, however, continues to be constrained by US sanctions on Iran, banking restrictions and security concerns along the shared border.
