ISLAMABAD: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will visit Pakistan from November 10-11 to ‘deepen’ bilateral cooperation between the two countries, the Pakistani foreign office said on Tuesday.
Zarif’s visit to Pakistan forms part of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries, the foreign office said. This is his fourth visit to Pakistan in the last two and a half years.
Relations between Iran and Pakistan have been strained in the last two years, with both sides accusing each other of not doing enough to stamp out militants allegedly sheltering across the border.
“The Iranian Foreign Minister will have delegation-level talks with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and have interaction with other dignitaries.” the foreign office said in a statement. “He will also call on Prime Minister Imran Khan.”
“Pakistan and Iran enjoy close, cordial relations founded on mutual trust and augmented by affinities of faith and culture,” the statement added. “Bilateral collaboration between the two countries has been growing in diverse fields. The Iranian leadership has been vocal in its steadfast support on the Jammu & Kashmir dispute.”
Iranian media reported that Zarif would lead a high-ranking political and economic delegation to discuss various issues, including effective management of a 900-km shared border with Pakistan.
Last year, Iran and Pakistan said they would form a joint quick reaction force to combat militant activity on their shared border. Pakistan began fencing its border with Iran in May 2019.
In May this year, Pakistan’s military chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa spoke to his Iranian counterpart Major General Mohammed Bagheri via telephone and discussed border fencing, improvement of border terminals, enhancing security and recent attacks on Pakistani troops near the border, among other issues, according to a statement from the Pakistani Army’s media wing.
The visit of the Zarif will help “further deepen bilateral cooperation and enhance understanding on various regional issues,” the foreign office said.
On Monday, Zarif said in a tweet: “Top-level talks on bilateral & regional issues with brothers FM @SMQureshiPTI, Army Chief Gen. Bajwa & PM @ImranKhanPTI tomo in Pakistan.”