“Insecurity in common borders of Iran and Pakistan fosters misunderstandings and ruins opportunities,” said Ali Shamkhani Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) during his meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Pakistan’s capital city of Islamabad on Thursday.
The Iranian official extended sympathy and condolences offered by Iran’s nation and government to the Pakistanis for the earthquake of October 26 and the deaths of Pakistani pilgrims in Mina tragedy of September 24.
Shamkhani voiced the readiness of Iranian rescue teams and medical staff to give hand to the Pakistanis affected by the incident.
“Deep religious ties and cultural commonalities are the main contributors to the development of all-out Tehran-Islamabad cooperation,” said Shamkhani referring to the agreements made during the latest visit of Pakistani PM to Tehran and describing Iran and Pakistan as two influential countries in the Islamic world and the region.
He also hailed the Pakistani government for its realistic and independent approach in restraining from Saudi-led coalition in war against Yemen and added that, “friendly relations and constructive cooperation between Tehran and Islamabad have never been under the influence of regime changes in the world and that is why the ties are deepening day-by-day.”
The secretary of Iran’s SNSC pointed to the Vienna agreement of July 14 and the end of anti-Iran sanctions as a threshold to a new era of developments of trade, energy, transit, and telecommunication cooperation between the neighboring countries.
Shamkhani underlined the war on Takfiri terrorism as the major priority of Tehran and Islamabad and contrasted it with the fake version of war on terrorism which seeks manipulation of terrorists in line with interests of the Westerners.
For his part, the Pakistani official, during the meeting, congratulated Shamkhani for the success of the Islamic Republic in nuclear talks and voiced hope that the removal of anti-Iran sanctions will activate all the potentials of trade between the two countries and speed-up the construction of the gas pipeline conveying Iran’s gas to Pakistan and India.
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