Tehran, April 25, IRNA – The Pakistan’s prime minister visited Iran at acrucial juncture in Tehran’s foreign policy and special conditions for thePakistanis.
However, the achievements of this trip can be described as impressive.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s trip to our country ended on Mondaynight.
Imran Khan, who had started his trip on Sunday, April 21, with thepilgrimage of Imam Reza (AS), the 8th Shia Imam Shrine in Mashad, wasofficially welcomed by President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran on Monday. Aftertalks with Rouhani and attending a joint press conference with thepresident, he was received by Supreme Leader of the Islamic RevolutionAyatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
After meeting with the authorities of our country, the Pakistani PM leftTehran to Islamabad to continue with further efforts, as he himself said,in order to further strengthen the relations between the two countries andto remain in constant touch with Tehran.
According to analysts, this positive approach, along with agreementsbetween the two sides in various areas, will lead to a dramatic expansionof Iran-Pakistan relations in various political, security, economic andother spheres.
** The Importance of Imran Khan’s Trip to Tehran
The visit of the Pakistani Prime Minister to our country and the emphasisof the two sides on the development of lasting relations is very importantin the particular circumstances of the region.
From analysts’ point of view, the talks, agreements and statements of ImranKhan make clear messages for the countries of the region and, of course,the United States and regional allies of Washington.
Imran Khan chose Tehran as the destination of his tenth foreign trip, inthe circumstances that the scope of US sanctions against our country isexpanding exponentially and other countries are under pressure byWashington to accompany anti-Iranian sanctions.
On the other hand, the destructive activities of terrorist groups supportedby foreign enemies on the common borders of Iran and Pakistan continue toendanger our country’s interests and security.
Due to the activity of similar groups against India, the subcontinent onceagain experienced a tension in relations between Delhi and Islamabad; atension that has now fallen, but as the fire under the ashes can stillflame.
The trip also took place during the Saudi’s strive for massive investmentin Pakistan. Riyadh pursues goals such as reducing regional power of Iran,with Pakistan’s economic needs and challenges, through promise ofwidespread investment in the country. During a recent Saudi Crown PrinceMohamed Bin Salman’s visit to Islamabad, contracts worth $ 20 billion weresigned between the two countries for the investment of Riyadh in Pakistan.
Awareness regarding the undeniable necessities of neighboring countries,along with a wide range of shared interests and threats, and extensive tiesof history, culture, religion of the two countries, have resolved Tehranand Islamabad to keep their connections threaten by the animosities andsuspicious movements of enemies.
In fact, this trip can be considered an attempt to act as a necessity,which was emphasized during the meeting with Imran Khan, with the SupremeLeadership of Islamic Revolution stressed that ‘the relations between thetwo countries should be strengthened and consolidated in spite ofhostilities’.
This concept is in the remarks of Imran Khan Was also considered. ThePakistani PM also said in the meeting that some do not want the tiesbetween Tehran and Islamabad to come close to each other, but we canovercome the difficulties, saying ‘we are trying to strengthen therelations between the two countries and we will continue to get in touchwith the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.’
Iran’s president remarks at the meeting with Imran Khan that ‘Iran andPakistan are fully committed to the development of bilateral relations, andno third country is able to affect the friendly and fraternal relationsbetween Iran and Pakistan’ also observes the principle of peacefulcooperation to promote the interests of the two countries.
With this approach, various meetings and discussions between Imran Khan andour senior officials have led to wide-ranging agreements in variouspolitical, security and economic fields, whose implementation will lead tothe strengthening of relations between Tehran and Islamabad.
** Synergy in combating Terrorism
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Terrorism as one of the most important issues that binds the securityinterests of Tehran and Islamabad, was the focus of Imran Khan’smulti-faceted consultation with Iranian officials.
The enemies of Iran have been trying to use the terrorist groups as a meansto disrupt Tehran’s relations with Islamabad for many years. The occurrenceof terrorist operations along the border between the two countries on theeve of the trip of the prime minister of Pakistan is an example of thiseffort, which has never led to the desirable outcome with Tehran andIslamabad’s vigilance.
Imran Khan, in talks with our country’s officials, announced Pakistan’sresolve to respond to Iran’s demand for confrontation with terroristgroups. Imran Khan, in a news conference with the president of the country,referred to the ‘terrorism issue’ as the main reason for his trip to Iran,that was as crushing blow to the supporters of the terrorists.
The Pakistani PM’s emphasis that all political groups in the country havecome to the conclusion that we should not allow militant groups fromPakistani territory to use terrorist acts against other countries, showsPakistan’s serious will to confront terrorist groups; the will It seemsthat its operational and common mechanisms are defined on this trip.
During the visit, Iran and Pakistan set up mechanisms for expandingsecurity cooperation and border forces. In this regard, the president ofour country has announced the formation of ‘rapid reaction forces’ at jointborders to fight terrorism.
Earlier, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had announced asix-way solution to strengthen the security of the borders between the twocountries. In this framework, the two countries are set to take action,such as the establishment of the new headquarters of the Army Command inTorbat, Pakistani Balochistan, the formation of a new unit in the bordertroops, the formation of a common border center, a joint patrol of the twosides of the border, the control of common borders using a helicopter and… improve the security of the common borders.
Analysts say that the implementation of the recent security agreementsbetween the two countries can transform the process of combating terroristgroups along the common borders between Iran and Pakistan.
** Economic agreements and horizons facing Iran, Pakistan
Another major issue in Iranian-Pakistani talks in Tehran was Tehran andIslamabad’s commercial and economic cooperation.
In recent meetings, important agreements have been made to increase tradeand economic relations between us. There are good capacities in expandingtrade and economic relations between the two countries, which was discussedin the talks of Iranian President with Imran Khan.
Given the vast US sanctions and international constraints for foreignfinancial transfers, Iran’s diplomats and economy policy makers have longbeen trying to establish separate financial exchange mechanisms for theinternational system under American domination with their neighbors. Iranhas also considered various ways to circumvent sanctions.
In the same vein, after meeting with the Pakistani Prime Minister, ourcountry’s president announced an agreement between the two sides toformulate a clearing committee and to continue the flow of exports andimports and settle it in a separate bank account.
Also, supplying Pakistani oil needs placed on our country’s agenda.According to Rouhani, Iran is ready to provide Pakistan’s oil needs andtake the necessary steps to complete the gas pipeline.
For many years, a contract for the purchase of 22 million cubic meters ofgas from Iran has been signed between Tehran and Islamabad, but pipelineconstruction for receiving gas has not yet been completed. Iran plans tooperate the contract with the help of completion of the pipeline.
Rouhani also in his meeting with Imran Khan referred to the readiness ofIran to increase the export of electricity to Pakistan by 10 times.Referring to the desire of the two countries to expand trade relations, thepresident also announced the imminent development of relations betweenChabahar and Gwadar ports via rail.
Iran and Pakistan have significant potential for developing businessrelations, as agreed by the two sides in the 20th Joint Economic Commissionof Iran and Pakistan in 2017-18, the volume of Iran-Pakistan traderelations can expand to a capacity of $ 5 billion. Realizing this goal isonly possible due to the attention of Tehran and Islamabad officials.
