Iranian Deputy Interior Minister Hails Strategic Ties with Pakistan

Iranian Deputy Interior Minister for Security and Law Enforcement Affairs Hossein Zolfaqari underscored strategic and age-old relations between Tehran and Islamabad, and called for increased cooperation between the two neighbors, AVA Diplomatic reports.

Zolfaqari said on Sunday that Iran and Pakistan’s relations are strategic and deep-rooted and the ambassadors of the two countries should work to boost mutual cooperation.

He made the remarks in a meeting with outgoing Pakistani Ambassador to Tehran Noor Mohammad Jadmani.

Zolfaqari underlined necessity to follow up agreements achieved during the visit by President Hassan Rouhani and Interior Minister Rahmani Fazli to Islamabad in March 2015, calling for implementation of approvals, specially security committee and joint border commission.

In relevant remarks in May, Iranian Ambassador to Islamabad Mehdi Honardoust expressed optimism about the broadening of trade relations between Tehran and Islamabad.

“We believe that relations between Iran and Pakistan will be strengthened in the near future,” Honardoust said, addressing a conference at the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad.

He pointed to a recent trilateral agreement signed by Iran, India and Afghanistan, and said, “There is no rivalry between Chabahar port of Iran and Gwadar port of Pakistan as both ports complement each other.”

Also, earlier this month, Pakistani Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nafees Zakaria voiced his country’s full support for Iran to become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

“Pakistan and Iran enjoy close brotherly relations; Iran is our neighbor and an important country of the region and Pakistan would welcome Iran to become an SCO member,” Zakaria said on Saturday,” Zakaria said.

The official further said that the SCO would provide its new full members, including Iran and Pakistan, a platform for forging closer ties with the SCO founding members China, Russia and greater economic linkages and cooperation with the Central Asian Republics.