ISLAMABAD: The defense ministers of Pakistan and Iran this week discussed regional security and ways to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries, Pakistan’s defense ministry said amid Iranian President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian’s two-day state visit to the South Asian country.
Pakistan and Iran have remained at odds over instability along their shared, porous border that led to a missile exchange between them last year. Both countries, however, were quick to move to ease tensions.
Iran was among several countries that attempted to de-escalate tensions between India and Pakistan during their May armed conflict, while Islamabad categorically condemned Israel for carrying out strikes against Iran that triggered a 12-day conflict between the two countries in June.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif met Brig. Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh, his Iranian counterpart, on Saturday. Nasirzadeh is part of a high-level delegation led by Pezeshkian, who arrived on a two-day state visit to Pakistan on Saturday to increase bilateral trade to $10 billion and strengthen relations between the two countries.
“During the meeting, both sides discussed matters of mutual interest, including regional security, counter-terrorism efforts, and avenues to enhance defense cooperation between the two neighboring countries,” the Pakistani defense ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
“The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen bilateral ties and promote peace and stability in the region,” it added.
Asif expressed appreciation for Iran’s continued engagement and emphasized the importance of “defense diplomacy” in addressing shared security challenges, the ministry said.
In response, Nasirzadeh thanked Pakistan for extending the Iranian delegation a warm welcome and reiterated Iran’s desire to build stronger defense ties based on mutual respect, shared values and trust, the Pakistani defense ministry added.
“The meeting concluded on a positive note, with both leaders expressing optimism about the future of Pakistan-Iran defense relations and pledging to continue working together for the prosperity and security of the region,” the statement added.
This is Pezeshkian’s first official visit to Pakistan as the Iranian president, according to the Pakistani foreign office. His high-level delegation includes Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, senior ministers and other high-ranking officials.
Prior to arriving in Islamabad, the Iranian president made a brief stay in Lahore on Saturday, 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.
He then arrived in Islamabad and was received by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. During his stay, Pezeshkian will meet President Asif Ali Zardari and hold delegation-level talks with Sharif, the Pakistani foreign office said in an earlier statement.
Last year, Iran’s late president, Ebrahim Raisi, traveled to Pakistan on a three-day visit during which both sides signed memoranda of understanding in the fields of trade, technology, agriculture, health, culture and judicial matters.
This year, ties between the two countries warmed up after Islamabad voiced its support for Tehran during the Iran-Israel 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.
