Pakistan will keep working for Middle East peace, Naqvi tells Iranian counterpart

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni that Pakistan would continue efforts for durable peace in the Middle East during a meeting in Islamabad, according to a statement issued by the interior ministry on Wednesday.

The ministry said the two ministers held detailed talks on Pakistan-Iran relations as well as the latest regional situation. Momeni was part of the delegation led by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who visited Pakistan on Tuesday after the United States and Iran signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding to end the Middle East conflict and held high-level talks in Burgenstock, Switzerland.

According to the statement, the Iranian minister thanked Naqvi for the warm reception extended to President Pezeshkian and the Iranian delegation. The two sides also expressed satisfaction over de-escalation in the region.

Naqvi also congratulated Momeni on the joint statement issued after the US-Iran talks in Switzerland. The interior ministry quoted him as saying: “This agreement would not have been possible without your and the Iranian government’s sincere efforts.”

“Pakistan has always desired peace and stability across the world. Pakistan will continue its efforts for lasting peace in the Middle East,” he added and expressed hope that the agreement would produce positive outcomes in the region.

Cooperation in security and immigration

The ministry said both countries agreed to expand cooperation in several areas, including security, counterterrorism, cybersecurity and immigration.

Momeni said he would soon pay a detailed visit to Pakistan to broaden cooperation between the interior ministries of the two countries. “I will conduct a detailed visit to Pakistan soon to extend cooperation between the interior ministries of the two countries,” he said.

According to the statement, the Iranian minister also appreciated Pakistan’s role in facilitating dialogue between Washington and Tehran, as well as the cooperation extended by the country in that process.

Visit by Iranian president

During a joint appearance with the Iranian president on Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan and Iran would act as an iron wall against forces seeking to undermine peace in the region. He said there was no dearth of spoilers across the world who were unhappy with the US-Iran talks and the breakthrough achieved through the Islamabad MoU.

The prime minister said both countries were fully determined to resist attempts to weaken the peace effort. President Pezeshkian, for his part, spoke of extending hands of friendship for a new regional security structure and called for a united front among Muslim nations.

During what was described as a thanksgiving visit to Pakistan, the Iranian president also separately met President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.