A senior Pakistani official has called for dialog and consultation with Iran to tackle regional problems, particularly terrorism.
Extremism, terrorism and sectarianism pose a threat to all countries, making it all the more necessary to establish regional ties based on friendship and goodwill to counter the scourges, Pakistani Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said in Tehran on Tuesday.
He called on regional countries to avoid conflicts and build confidence to make nations benefit from peace and economic development.
The Pakistani official noted that his country is determined to strengthen ties with Iran, saying Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would pay an official visit to Tehran within the next month.
During his stay in Tehran, the Pakistani premier would hold talks with Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif about different issues including security along the two countries’ common borders.
In a Monday meeting between the Pakistani premier’s advisor on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and the Iranian foreign minister in Tehran, the two sides condemned extremism and religious sectarianism as phenomena undermining stability and security in the region, stressing the need for a joint campaign to fight the scourges.
In February 2013, Iran and Pakistan signed a security agreement under which both countries are required to cooperate in preventing and combating organized crime, fighting terrorism and countering the activities that pose a threat to the national security of either country.
