TEHRAN – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has met with visiting PakistaniForeign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and stressed the importance of closerelations between the two countries.
“Relations with Pakistan are very important for Iran and we recognize muchsignificance for an expansion of ties between the two countries,” Rouhanisaid on Sunday, Press TV has reported.
The Iranian president added that Tehran welcomed Pakistan’s efforts inseeking to ensure peace and stability in the region. He also called forimproved dialogue and cooperation between the region’s Muslim states.
Rouhani added that Tehran and Islamabad should deepen their relations andnot allow certain terrorists groups threaten the security of the twocountries’ shared borders.
The Iranian president also expressed gratitude for Islamabad’s solidaritywith Tehran regarding the recent crash of Ukrainian Airlines flight 752 inIran and Washington’s assassination of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimanilast week.
“The leaders of the United States and the Israel, along with leaders ofterrorist groups around the world such as Daesh, were happy with theassassination of Soleimani,” Rouhani said.
“However, people who seek peace and security in the region weresaddened [by the incident]’, he added, calling on “all countries to firmlycondemn Washington’s act of government terrorism”.
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Rouhani stressed that in the “current circumstances” all sides need to”cooperate in deescalating tensions in the region”.
Speaking on his part, Qureshi vowed that Islamabad will not allow hiscountry’s borders to be used to threaten Iran and that Pakistan regardsitself as “a partner in the peace and stability” of Tehran.
“We believe that that the borders between the two countries are borders ofpeace and friendship,” he said, adding that Islamabad was determined todeal with those seeking to create insecurity in the border area.
Iran has been the victim of a number of terrorist attacks in itssoutheastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan originating from Pakistan,which lies east of the province.
