Iran’s Prez stresses coordination with Pakistan to safeguard common border
Tehran: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has highlighted the necessity of coordination with Pakistan to safeguard the two countries’ shared border.
Raisi made the remarks on Saturday when meeting with Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran Muhammad Mudassir Tipu to receive his credentials, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement published on the website of the President’s Office.
Tipu returned to his post in Tehran on Friday after being recalled by the Pakistani government earlier this month in the wake of a brief tension between the two neighbours.
During the meeting, Raisi expressed hope that effective steps would be taken to develop all-out bilateral relations during Tipu’s mission in Tehran.
He called for boosting economic transactions across the common border while highlighting the necessity to protect it against any security threat.
Raisi also urged regional cooperation to fight terrorism, saying the terrorist groups have posed a threat to all regional countries over the past years.
Meanwhile, he called for the implementation of joint plans to fight drug trafficking and organized crimes in the border areas.
Tipu, for his part, underlined his country’s will to strengthen brotherly ties with Iran, stressing that Pakistan would never allow “enemies” to abuse its border with Iran.
The Pakistani envoy said, despite attempts by “enemies and ill-wishers” to harm the relations between Iran and Pakistan, “the bilateral ties are historical and strategic,” adding his country is ready to “open a new chapter” in relations with Iran.
On January 16, Iran carried out a series of missile and drone strikes in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, claiming to have targeted the terrorist group Jaish ul-Adl. Pakistan then denounced Iran’s “violation of its airspace” and recalled its ambassador from Iran.
On January 18, Pakistan, in response, launched a missile strike on a border village in Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan.
On Friday, Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moqaddam also returned to Islamabad to resume his diplomatic duties, as the recent flare-up between the two countries eased.