TEHRAN (FNA)- Trans-regional countries are afraid of close ties betweenIslamic states like Iran and Pakistan, Governor General of Iran’sSoutheastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan Ahmad Ali Mohebati said,adding that such players are intending to create division between Tehranand Islamabad.
The aliens do not want Islamic states such as Iran and Pakistan makeprogress and are trying to create discord and insecurity, Mohebati said onThursday in a meeting with a visiting Pakistani delegation in theprovincial capital city of Zahedan.
He added that Iran and Pakistan have numerous cultural, religious andhistoric commonalities and boosting bilateral relations will pave the wayfor development of the Iranian province and Pakistani province ofBaluchistan.
He went on recounting that cultural and religious commonalities indicatesolidarity and affection between the two neighboring states.
“Iranian people respect individuals such as Iqbal Lahouri and Mohammad AliJinah and other Pakistani figures, as the Pakistanis respect late founderof the Islamic Revolution Imam Khomeini and Supreme Leader of the IslamicRevolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei,” he said.
There are latent but significant capacities in Gwadar and Makran ports,discovering which can be beneficial both for the two nations and the entireworld, he said, noting that investment in them as complementary to eachother can benefit both Iran and Pakistan.
Last Friday, Pakistan’s President Arif-ur-Rehman Alvi appreciated Iran’ssupport for his country’s regional policies, and said that Tehran enjoys akey priority in Islamabad’s foreign policy.
The Pakistani president made the remarks during a farewell ceremony heldfor outgoing Iranian Ambassador to Islamabad Mehdi Honardoust.
“Broadening of relations with neighbors, specially Iran, is a priorityfor Islamabad’s foreign policy,” President Alvi said.
The Pakistani president voiced his country’s satisfaction in Iran’s SupremeLeader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei’s decisive support Kashmir people.
“Tehran and Islamabad have closer ties in view of their religious, culturalcommonalities,” he said.
Iran’s outgoing ambassador, for his part, said that peace and stability isa major priority of Iran and Pakistan.
In a relevant development in late October, the Pakistani president in ameeting with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani said that the Pakistanipeople have deep and long-standing relations with the Iranian people.
“We value and appreciate the Iranians’ resistance to obstacles anddifficulties as they have overcome crises and challenges and can certainlyovercome problems afterwards,” President Alvi said during the meeting withPresident Rouhani on the sidelines of the 18th Summit of the Heads of Stateand Government of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
The 18th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the NAM with theparticipation of the heads of 60 countries, including President Rouhani,kicked off in Baku, Azerbaijan on Friday.
The NAM is a forum of 120 developing world states that are not formallyaligned with or against any major power bloc. After the United Nations, itis the largest grouping of states worldwide.
President Rouhani arrived in Baku on Thursday to attend the 18th NAMSummit, President Rouhani was invited to the NAM summit meeting byAzerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev.
At the NAM Baku Summit, the Republic of Azerbaijan will take over thechairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement for the next 3 years.