ISLAMABAD, Sept 28: Iran reiterated on Wednesday its continued support for Pakistan in overcoming challenges confronting the two countries and its desire for implementation of all development projects the two countries had agreed to undertake.
The statement was made by Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar during a meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari.
“Iran will continue to partner with Pakistan to overcome existing challenges faced by the two countries,” president’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar quoted the visiting minister as saying.
“Iran is equally eager for materialisation of all mutual projects that have been agreed by the leadership of the two countries,” Mr Najjar said.
He announced a donation of $100 million for the rehabilitation of rain-affected people in Sindh.
President Zardari said promotion of regional and inter-regional connectivity was a key to the socio-economic development of the people of the area and Iran had a major role to play along with Pakistan due to the two countries’ geo-strategic location.
He said Pakistan and Iran needed to deepen their cooperation in all areas, particularly trade, energy, security, communications and infrastructure, and forge a partnership to overcome the challenges in the way of the realisation of the “full potential of our equation”.
“Resource shortages, inadequate trade, smuggling, drug trafficking, border management and security are among the few challenges that the two countries need to address together.”
He said the government attached high priority to early completion of the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline and the 1,000MW Taftan-Quetta power transmission line.
The president welcomed an agreement on opening a Pakistani consulate general in Bandar Abbas and a cultural centre in Tehran.
He said the agreement to raise bilateral trade to $10 billion was practical.
In this regard, a currency swap agreement and initiatives such as export of meat from Pakistan to Iran could have an immediate impact, he said.
President Zardari said: “Militancy threatens regional and global peace and needs to be tackled collectively. Militancy thrives on deprivation of people. By providing our people education and economic opportunities we can effectively take on the challenge of militancy and wean away our youths from falling into the hands of militants.”
Talking after his meeting with Interior Minister Rehman Malik earlier in the day, Mr Najjar said Pakistan was not alone at this time of test.
“There are many commonalities, including religion, culture and border, which bind the two countries together,” he said. He expressed Iran’s keen desire to expand its relations with Pakistan. He termed President Zardari’s recent visit to Iran as a turning point in bilateral ties.
Mr Najjar said his country wanted to work in cooperation with Pakistan in many fields, including energy, electricity, gas and security.
“We have also agreed to jointly look after the common border and work in collaboration with each other in the war against terror.” He said a cooperation agreement would be signed soon.
Rehman Malik said both countries had agreed not to allow the use of their soil against each other and to jointly move to cleanse the region of terror. He said the two sides had discussed issues ranging from border management and human smuggling to cooperation in the war against terrorism. He said Iran had closed the border with Pakistan because of increasing human smuggling through the route.
He said several incidents of border violation had been observed by both sides and they had agreed to take stringent measures on the border, particularly to check human smuggling.
Mr Malik said both countries had decided to take steps to forge the unity of the Ummah and tackle the common challenges, including terrorism.
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