Iran and Pakistan signed eight cooperation documents in various fields and agreed to strengthen ties to fight regional terrorism.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his accompanying high-level political and economic delegation held talks with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on the 16th, after which they discussed trade, science and technology, agriculture, health, culture, and legal and judicial issues. Eight cooperation documents were signed. April 22nd.
“Establishment of free trade zones at common border crossings, cooperation in the field of film and media, cooperation in the field of animal health, cooperation in the field of security, cooperation in the field of social welfare, cooperation in the field of standards, cooperation in the field of law, cooperation in the field of civil and commercial matters. ”These were among the most important cooperation documents (signed) between the two countries,” the Iranian president’s official website reported.
“Given our existing capabilities, we believe that we can transform our relationship, and that is why, as a first step, we will increase the trade volume between our countries to $10 billion,” Raisi said in a meeting with Pakistan’s prime minister. We agreed.” Countries”.
In response, Shehbaz Sharif referred to the long common border between the two countries and emphasized efforts to resolutely fight terrorism and improve security in border areas. He also emphasized the need to increase the economic prosperity of border regions through the expansion of border markets.
The two leaders also noted the importance of strengthening public trade and agreed that Pakistan should accelerate the fulfillment of its obligations in the energy sector.
In a joint press conference with Shehbaz Sharif, the Iranian president noted the common position of Tehran and Islamabad in the fight against terrorism, organized crime, drugs and various insecurities that threaten both countries and the region.
“This common view, based on the protection of human rights, is the main key for bilateral, regional and international cooperation between our two countries,” Raisi said.
The visit came against the backdrop of both countries carrying out retaliatory attacks within each other’s territory against alleged militant targets in the border area in January this year. On January 16, Iran launched an attack on the base of the Sunni extremist group Jaish al-Adl in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. Meanwhile, Pakistan retaliated on January 18 by attacking a terrorist hideout in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province, close to the border with Pakistan.
Furthermore, on January 27, nine Pakistani workers were shot dead by unknown assailants in Sistan-Baluchestan province. On January 30, Iranian border guards killed a member of the Sunni extremist group Ansar al-Furkan in an armed clash in the city of Rusk.
On April 4, Jaish al-Adl launched attacks on military and police bases in the cities of Chabahar and Rusk. The clashes lasted several hours, took hostages, and left at least 11 Iranian security officials and 18 militants dead.
Iran has long suspected Pakistan of providing refuge to rebels and fostering instability on Iran’s southeastern border. The impoverished province of Sistan-Baluchestan, on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, is a stronghold of Sunni militants and a gateway for arms and drug smuggling.
For more than two decades, Baluch nationalists have waged a long-running, low-intensity insurgency within Sistan-Baluchestan province seeking independence. The extremist groups Ansar al-Furqan and Jaish al-Adl have increased their skirmishes with Iranian forces in the province in recent years.
