President Raeisi tells Pakistans new PM Sharif Iran ready to expand all-out ties
President Ebrahim Raeisi has expressed Iran's readiness to expand all-out relations with Pakistan in a phone call with Pakistan’s newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, wishing him success in his tenure.
The phone call was made on Tuesday, two days after Pakistani legislators elected Sharif as the country’s premier for a second term following general elections.
The Iranian president congratulated Sharif on his re-election and expressed hope that cooperation between the two countries will further expand in the areas of mutual interest.
He emphasized that Tehran-Islamabad relations go beyond a neighborly relationship and are based on deep historical and cultural ties between the two sides.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes the upgrading of bilateral, regional and international interactions and relations with the friendly and brotherly country of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” Raeisi said.
Iran’s approach, he added, lies “within the framework of its policy of strengthening and deepening ties with its neighbors and Muslim states.”
Raeisi further hoped that the new Pakistani government will be able to take steps towards the country’s progress.
Sharif, for his part, thanked Iran for its message of congratulation and voiced hope that bilateral ties will develop in all fields through the will and efforts of the two countries’ officials.
He stressed that Iran and Pakistan can take effective steps to secure their mutual interests based on the deep friendship between their people.
Two months ago, Iran-Pakistan relations soured following an escalation of cross-border tensions over counter-terrorism operations. Soon afterwards, however, the two neighbors took steps towards easing tensions.
On January 16, Iran launched simultaneous drone and missile attacks on two bases of the so-called Jaish ul-Adl terror outfit that had conducted several attacks on Iranian soil in recent years.
The following day, Pakistan carried out strikes against what it called bases of the separatist Baloch Liberation Front and Baloch Liberation Army in regions close to Iran’s border.
