By SPA
Islamabad : Iran’s special envoy Kazem Jalali has met Caretaker Prime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro and discussed bilateral relations, said an official statement.
Pakistan and Iran enjoy close neighborly relations and have been playing a significant role in the region for peace and stability, Soomro said.
Both countries, he added, desire to expand trade and economic links in order to ensure prosperity for their people.
The Prime Minister said that Pakistan was committed to further strengthen the brotherly relations with Iran which are based on shared faith, culture, values and common heritage as well as interest for peace and prosperity in the region. He emphasized for more contacts and interaction between the two countries to further enhance bilateral relations in all the fields.
On the issue of terrorism, Soomro said that terrorism is a serious threat to the entire region and all the countries need to work collectively to fight this menace.
Greater collaboration and coordination in this regard, he said, would greatly help in combating and eliminating this menace. The Government and the people of Pakistan, he said, are determined to fight the disturbing trends of extremism which endanger peace and harmony of the society.
While referring the importance of energy requirements the Prime Minister called upon the need for more collaboration among the regional countries. He said all the regional countries need to develop an integrated approach to help meet the energy demands.
The gas pipeline project from Iran to Pakistan and beyond would greatly help to meet the much needed energy requirements of the countries, he sid.
Jalali said that Pakistan and Iran have close brotherly relations which are time tested. The relations between the two brotherly countries, he said, are an example of good neighborly ties.
While expressing condolence over the tragic assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and killing of innocent people at a suicide bomb blast at Lahore, he said such kind of heinous act could not deter both the countries to fight terrorism and expressed solidarity with the government and the people of Pakistan.
While talking about the importance of Inter-Parliamentary Union of Islamic States, Jalali said that this forum could play an important role in promoting relations among the Muslim countries.