TEHRAN – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has stressed the importance ofstrengthening relations with Pakistan, saying the two countries should makemore efforts to remove obstacles in the way of achieving that goal.
“Tehran-Islamabad relations in the economic field must reach a higher levelthan the current one and the two sides should not be satisfied with thecurrent volume of trade and economic relations,” Rouhani said in a meetingwith Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa in Tehran onTuesday, Press TV has reported.
The two countries should make further efforts and develop better mechanismsfor enhanced trade and economic cooperation, he added.
Rouhani hailed the cordial relations between the two Muslim nations as avaluable asset which can be used to improve cooperation in different fields.
The Iranian president said positive developments have been made to enhancesecurity in common borders and expressed confidence that given the twocountries’ firm resolve, they can easily confront smugglers and those whocreate insecurity in border areas.
He then touched upon regional issues and said, “We believe that in regionalissues and relations, all [countries] must cooperate with each other toestablish peace, tranquility and stability.”
No country can affect Iran-Pakistan ties: Bajwa
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The Pakistani chief of army staff, for his part, said no country can affectrelations between the two neighbors and called for more efforts to deepenties among Muslim states.
He added that Pakistan would use all capacities and different methods toexpand trade and economic cooperation.
Bajwa, who is in Iran at the head of a high-ranking military and securitydelegation, also held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad JavadZarif on Tuesday.
The two sides discussed the expansion of political, economic and militaryties besides border security and regional cooperation.
The Pakistani general also met with Chief of Staff of the Iranian ArmedForces Major General Mohammad Baqeri, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme NationalSecurity Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani and the Chief Commander of Iran’sArmy Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi.
