Iran, Pakistan to set up consultative mechanism, deploy liaison officers
Iran and Pakistan have reached an agreement on establishing a consultative mechanism and deploying liaison officers between the two countries, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Pakistani counterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani announced on Monday, IRNA reported.
At a joint press conference with Jilani in Islamabad, Amir-Abdollahian said Iran and Pakistan are committed to improving their relations and will never allow terrorists to endanger the security of the two nations.
Meanwhile, Jilani said that the two sides agreed on the necessity of cooperation in combating terrorism, and “it was decided that liaison officers from both countries would be deployed” between the two countries.
The Pakistani official said that they agreed to establish a consultative mechanism at the level of foreign ministers. This mechanism will be formed regularly with the aim of overseeing the progress of collaborations between the two countries.
Addressing the press conference, the Iranian foreign minister said the terrorists based along the Iran-Pakistan border are supported by hostile third countries.
Many Iranian and Pakistani forces have lost their lives in recent years in the fight against terrorism, he said.
The top Iranian diplomat emphasized that it is inevitable for the two countries to garner their strength to fight terrorism.
Amir-Abdollahian said Tehran and Islamabad have reached an understanding that efforts should be made to improve the economy, development and welfare of the people living along the common border.
He hailed numerous cultural, historical and religious commonalities between Iran and Pakistan, and said the two neighboring states have never had a dispute over their territorial integrity.
Iran regards Pakistan’s security as the security of its own and the entire region, the top Iranian diplomat said, emphasizing, “Both sides strongly respect each other’s territorial integrity.”
Pointing to the constructive cooperation between Tehran and Islamabad in international circles, Amir-Abdollahian commended firm support of the Pakistani government and nation for the oppressed Palestinian people.
He noted that the Pakistani government has officially invited Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to travel to Islamabad, and the two countries’ foreign ministers agreed to make the necessary preparations so that the visit would take place in the near future.
Heading a high-ranking political, military and security delegation, Amir-Abdollahian arrived in Islamabad early on Monday for a day-long visit to hold key talks on ways to improve relations.
The visit took place after an escalation of cross-border tensions over Iran’s counter-terrorism operations on January 16, when Iran launched simultaneous drone and missile attacks on two bases of the Jaish al-Adl terrorist group that has conducted several attacks on Iranian soil in recent years.
Also, characterizing it a response to Tehran’s operation against terrorist bases inside Pakistan, nine people, including four children, were killed after Islamabad admitted attacking a village in Saravan in Iran’s southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan Province.