2024-04-22 17:35:17
Iran, Pakistan discuss repairing relations following border tensions
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi discussed repairing relations between Islamabad and Tehran, following they exchanged unprecedented military strikes this year.
Shahbaz’s office said the two leaders had a “lively discussion” on strengthening bilateral relations, particularly in the areas of trade and communications, and that they also “agreed on the need for joint efforts of the two countries to fight once morest terrorism.
Upon his arrival in the Pakistani capital this morning, Raisi warned of Israel’s efforts to “sabotage relations between Islamic countries”, before meeting the Pakistani prime minister.
Raisi’s visit to Islamabad comes at a time of escalating tensions in the Middle East following Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel a week ago, and central Iran was subjected to what sources described as an Israeli attack on Friday.
Shahbaz Sharif called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip and, during a joint press conference with Raisi, he urged Islamic countries to express a unified position in order to end the conflict in Gaza.
Sharif said: “Pakistan and Iran are concerned regarding the situation of the people of Gaza and condemn the crimes of the Zionist regime… We call on all countries in the world to cooperate to end the crimes in Gaza as quickly as possible . »
Raisi walks in front of the Pakistani honor guard in Islamabad (Iranian Presidency)
Tensions loom over the history of relations between Iran and Pakistan, but the January missile attacks were the most serious incidents in years.
Efforts to calm the situation quickly led each country to affirm respect for the other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and commit to expanding security cooperation.
A visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian to Islamabad in late January led both sides to commit to improving dialogue and appointing liaison officers. Iranian bombings and a similar Pakistani response in January killed 11 people on both sides, most of them women and children, according to authorities.
Raisi’s visit represents a major step toward normalizing relations with Islamabad, but it is Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, not the president, who has the final say on basic state affairs, such as politics. foreign and nuclear.
Raïssi said the positions of the two countries in the fight once morest terrorism are “shared”. We both emphasize the fight once morest instability, the fight once morest terrorism, organized crime and the fight once morest drug trafficking.
He added: “The level of relations is unacceptable. This is why we decided to raise the level of trade and economic relations to $10 billion,” emphasizing that “the border between the two countries is an opportunity that can be used to uplift the two peoples.”
Before leaving Tehran, Raisi told journalists that “discussions with the Pakistani government will focus on border issues between the two countries.”
The Iranian and Pakistani delegations signed memorandums of understanding for cooperation in various economic, cultural, health and agricultural fields.
Raisi arrived in Islamabad on Monday morning for a three-day official visit amid tight security measures in the Pakistani capital. He was received by Pakistani Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar.
Iranian media quoted Raisi telling Pakistan’s foreign minister that “relations between the two countries go beyond simple good neighborliness and are based on brotherhood and sincere deep and historical relations.” Raisi said: “Zionists exploit the differences between Islamic countries. This is why our strategy is unity once morest the strategy of the enemy.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement: “The Iranian president is accompanied by his wife and a high-level delegation,” adding that the delegation also includes the foreign minister, other members of the government and senior officials.
Raïssi on his arrival at Islamabad airport (Iranian Presidency)
She added that Raisi would meet Pakistani officials on the sidelines of his meeting with Shahbaz Sharif, besides visiting the eastern city of Lahore and the southern coastal city of Karachi.
Authorities closed Islamabad’s main highways as part of security measures ahead of Raisi’s arrival. The government has declared a public holiday in Karachi.
Former Pakistani diplomat and international relations expert Maliha Lodhi said the visit “represents an opportunity to put relations back on track and repair the damage that occurred in January.” Lodhi told Agence France-Presse: “The main challenge is border management, as there are militants on both sides of the Pakistan-Iran border. “The visit might therefore lead to an agreement on this issue.”
Qamar Cheema, an expert on security issues, said the new visit aims to “reduce the lack of trust” between the two sides. “But it is also important from a commercial point of view,” he added, anticipating “improvements in border management and a move towards more standardized commercial practices.” “This will reduce informal trade and smuggling. » He stressed that “our economic relations are not at the level of our political relations”.
The most important agreement between Iran and Pakistan is the ongoing gas supply agreement, signed in 2010, for the construction of a gas pipeline connecting the Iranian “South Pars” gas field to the provinces of Balochistan and Pakistan. Sindh, in southern Pakistan.
Tehran has built its own part of an 1,800-kilometer gas pipeline, which aims to connect the South Pars gas fields to Pakistan’s Nawabshah region, near Karachi.
Despite Pakistan’s desperate need for gas, Islamabad has yet to begin construction of its portion of the pipeline due to fears of U.S. sanctions, concerns dismissed by Tehran.
Pakistan said it would seek exemptions from the United States, but Washington said it did not support the plan and warned of the risk of falling foul of sanctions in its dealings with Tehran.
Due to the possibility of sanctions for violating the agreement amounting to billions of dollars, Pakistan recently gave the green light to the construction of the 80-kilometer gas pipeline.
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