Iranian, Pakistani officials hold consultations

Iranian and Pakistani officials have held the seventh round of annual bilateral political consultations, stressing the enhancement of bilateral economic cooperation.

According to a statement released by Pakistan Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, the country’s Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry held the consultations with Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia and Pacific Affairs Ebrahim Rahimpour in the Iranian capital of Tehran on April 29.

The ministry described the atmosphere of the talks as cordial and friendly, saying both sides stressed the significance of strengthening bilateral economic cooperation which will be to the benefit of both countries.

According to the statement, cooperation in political, security, economic and cultural fields were among other issues discussed during the consultations.

In a meeting between the advisor to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Tehran on Monday, the two sides underlined the importance of confronting extremism and religious sectarianism, and exchanged viewpoints on outstanding regional developments as well as cooperation among influential Muslim states.

On April 24, Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said the Pakistani premier will pay an official visit to Iran before May 15.

During a meeting with Zarif on the sidelines of a ministerial meeting of the Developing Eight (D8) group in Islamabad on December 19, 2013, Sharif said Pakistan places strong emphasis on friendly relations with Iran on the basis of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.