ISLAMABAD: Iranian President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian arrived on a two-day state visit to Pakistan on Saturday, hoping to increase bilateral trade to $10 billion and strengthen relations between the two countries.
Pakistan and Iran enjoy close ties and have signed several pacts in multiple fields including energy and trade. However, they have also remained at odds over instability along their shared frontier which led to a missile exchange between them last year, though they were quick to move to ease tensions.
“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif received the President of Iran H.E. Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian and his delegation upon their arrival to Islamabad on their two-day official visit to Pakistan,” the PM Office confirmed while sharing photos of the two leaders at the Nur Khan Airbase.
This is Pezeshkian’s first official visit to Pakistan as the Iranian president, according to the Pakistani foreign office. He is also accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, senior ministers and other high-ranking officials.
Before his departure earlier today, Pezeshkian said Tehran enjoyed strong relations with Pakistan, according to the Iranian news agency IRNA, adding the plan was to elevate their trade exchanges to $10 billion.
He said his country was also interested in joining China’s Belt and Road Initiative through Pakistan, adding the route could then extend through Iran to Europe.
Prior to arriving in Islamabad, the Iranian president made a brief stay in Lahore, Pakistan’s cultural capital, where he also visited the mausoleum of Dr. Muhammad Iqbal, Pakistan’s national poet, who wrote in both Urdu and Persian and is widely revered in Iran and Persian-speaking communities across the world.
“During his stay, President Pezeshkian will meet with the President of Pakistan, H.E. Asif Ali Zardari, and hold delegation-level talks with Prime Minister of Pakistan, H.E. Shehbaz Sharif,” the foreign office said on Friday.
Last year, Iran’s late president, Ebrahim Raisi, traveled to Pakistan on a three-day visit during which both sides signed memorandums of understanding in the fields of trade, technology, agriculture, health, culture and judicial matters.
This year the ties between the two countries warmed up after Islamabad voiced its support for Tehran during the 12-day Israel-Iran war in June, which began after Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
Pakistan remained engaged in talks with regional partners like Saudi Arabia, Iran, China and Qatar to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East after Iran conducted retaliatory strikes on Israel and a US base in Qatar, raising fears the conflict could draw in other regional states.
IRNA quoted the Iranian president as praising Pakistan for being among the countries that “strongly condemned” Israel’s attack and “declared its readiness to provide any necessary support for Iran’s territorial integrity, as well as for the government and people of Iran.”
The foreign office said the Iranian foreign minister, Araghchi, met his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar, after arriving in the capital.
“The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening Pakistan-Iran ties, with a focus on expanding cooperation in regional stability, trade and economic collaboration,” it added. “They also discussed enhancing bilateral engagement across key areas of mutual interest.”
