Top security chief calls for $10b trade with Pakistan in visit to Islamabad
Palestine hailed as one of central pillars of Muslim unity
Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Larijani called for an increase of up to 10 billion dollars in trade exchanges with Pakistan as he travelled to the capital Islamabad on Tuesday to hold talks on various issues with the neighboring country’s senior officials.
In a meeting with Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, Larijani also called for removing existing obstacles and facilitating the path for economic interactions between Tehran and Islamabad.
Pointing to the long-standing ties between the two countries, the SNSC chief described the elevation of Iran-Pakistan relations to a strategic level as a necessity and stated, “The economic capacities of the two countries can operate at a level far beyond the current situation and the target of increasing exchanges to 10 billion dollars is deemed achievable.”
The two sides also exchanged their views on the latest important regional developments and the necessity of collective action by Islamic countries to face common challenges, underlining that the Muslim world needs to design practical measures, broad coordination, and coherent cooperation to manage regional crises; especially to remove Israel’s threats against Islamic countries.
Larijani and Ishaq Dar referred to Palestine as one of the central pillars of cooperation in the Islamic world and emphasized the unity, convergence, and focus of Tehran and Islamabad in supporting the Palestinian nation.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Larijani said, “We discussed bilateral relations, the progress achieved in the economic field, and ways to strengthen this cooperation, alongside regional issues.”
“We paid attention to regional matters, and during consultations with our Pakistani brothers, they shared their explanations regarding international developments,” he added.
During his two-day visit, Larijani is also scheduled to hold meetings with Pakistan’s Parliament Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and President Asif Ali Zardari.
The meetings are aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation and advancing joint agreements — with a strong focus on regional security, border management, counter-terrorism, trade, and broader issues affecting the Islamic world.
Upon his arrival in Islamabad early Tuesday morning, Larijani told reporters, “Pakistan is an important country in the region and has a privileged position in terms of influencing the security situation in the region.”
Hailing “deep and historical” relations between the countries, he added,” Today, in the changing conditions of the region, cooperation between Iran and Pakistan in various fields can contribute to regional peace and stability.”
Before departing for Islamabad, Larijani described Pakistan on his X account as “a friendly and brotherly country” and that the Islamic Republic has not forgotten how the Pakistani nation stood by the Iranian nation during the 12-day imposed war of Israeli regime and the United States against Iran in mid-June.
Iran and Pakistan, two significant and influential countries, consistently prioritize peace and security in the region, he noted.