Ali Akbar Velayati received Mr. Janjua, former Pakistani Army General on Monday where they discussed briefly the prospects of relations between two countries given the cultural and geographical common elements connecting both nations; Velayati believed that a spirit of fraternity and peace had governed relations of the past and that geographical borders would not separate two nations of such proximities. He pointed to many of his visits to Pakistan during his long incumbency as foreign minister as testimony to improved Iran-Pakistan relations.
Mr. Janjua also was in general agreement with Velayati on the fact that Iran and Pakistan enjoyed elements which had made them quite close; “both nations had faced difficulties and issues within the world of Islam the solving of which entailed common resolve,” said Pakistani general.
In a related event, Velayati told reporters after his meeting with Mr. Janjua about a general shift in Pakistan’s policy towards Iran; “Pakistan had in occasions acted positively in line with Iran’s policies in the region, which included their wise decline of Saudi proposal that the country send troops to futile warfare in Yemen, which was an act of valor by Pakistani officials,” he praised the eastern neighbor.
Velayati criticized Saudis of ‘turning realities upside-down’ in Kashmiri setting; “India, on the other hand, should beware of actions undermining the rights of Muslims in Kashmir,” he added.
On JCPOA implementation, Velayati believed that Iran had many options in practice vis-à-vis the west; “however, the options should be closely watched in a council addressing the issue. We expect that other 5+1 members (than the US) to act upon their commitments; they have engaged in a conspiracy to deceive other members of about Iran’s alleged clandestine movement toward mechanisms leading to nuclear weapon, which however was belied by the facts announced by IAEA; this is an obvious point that the US has engaged in prevarication and misleading of other members; it is our duty to clear other members of US subterfuges on the nuclear agreement,” he told reporters, concluding his brief press conference.
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