Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, embarked on a trip to Islamabad this week upon the invitation of his Pakistani counterpart. As announced by Iran's Ambassador to Islamabad Reza Amiri Moghaddam before the trip, our president held meetings and discussions with the prime minister, president, senate chairman, as well as the army chief and Punjab governor of Pakistan after receiving an official welcome. Visiting Lahore, the cultural hub, and Karachi, renowned as Pakistan's economic heart, were among President Raisi's other plans during his visit to the country. The president of University of Karachi awarded him an honorary doctorate in a ceremony attended by several provincial authorities, state representatives, and university faculty members.
The unified outlook of both sides for developing relations without any constraints was a common theme in the statements of Iranian and Pakistani officials. In this regard, the Pakistani government declared that as a symbol of solidarity between the two countries, one of the streets in the capital of Pakistan would be named "Iran."
Despite some media skepticism about the achievements of the president's Asian tour before the visit, as hinted by the Iranian Ambassador in Islamabad, agreements were signed in the fields of enhancing security, economic, and cultural cooperation, infrastructure development, customs cooperation, development of border markets and new crossings, assurance for animal and plant quarantines, as well as in trade and standards.
The brotherly reception of Pakistani officials and people towards the Iranian delegation, despite some challenges that arose last year due to Iran's counterterrorism actions against some groups affiliated with opposing countries, indicates the depth of the bond between the two countries and the inability of enemies to manipulate and disrupt the relations of the two neighbors.
A review of what transpired in this visit indicates specific components and indicators in the relations of the two countries that will not only have significant positive effects on achieving the goals of both sides but will also be influential in regional and global equations. In the following, some will be reviewed:
Enduring roots and commonalities
Officials of both countries emphasized historical and longstanding relations between Iran and Pakistan as neighbors with cultural, historical, and geographical commonalities, which have always provided a secure environment for both nations. Pakistan, as the second-largest Shia country in the Islamic world with over 200 million individulas, annually sees many people either traveling to Qom and Mashhad or passing through Iran's soil to Iraq. These connections could significantly contribute to tourism and strengthening the bond between the two countries. Iran and Pakistan, in their joint statement, reminded of these ties, reaffirming their commitment to further strengthen these bonds through enhancing academic, cultural, and tourism activities, and developing tourism to historical religious sites.
Economic objectives
Economic diplomacy and utilizing neighbors' capacities for achieving developmental goals and addressing their needs stand among the most significant dimensions of any government's foreign policy. The primary focus in this regard has been on economic cooperation with Islamabad, based on a strategy to transform the security space prevailing in border areas into secure economic borders. Having a common border of nearly a thousand kilometers has created valuable capital and potential for expanding Tehran and Islamabad relations. Currently, there are six border crossings between the two countries, but there is potential to increase this figure to nine.
Iranian and Pakistani officials, in the presence of Raisi and Shahbaz Sharif, also signed eight memorandums of understanding for cooperation. Additionally, the issue of the peace pipeline, intended to facilitate the export of our country's gas primarily to Pakistan and then to India, was followed during this visit, indicating the determination of both countries to realize remaining objectives on the ground. In this regard, Pakistani authorities, in response to US concerns about the implementation of this plan, emphasized the necessity of not seeking permission from a third party to achieve their country's goals and interests, including the implementation of the peace pipeline.
Security commonalities and cooperation
Examining the interactions between the two countries reveals an undeniable truth about the need for security cooperation, achievable only through interaction and convergence. The tragic consequences of NATO's 20-year presence in Afghanistan demonstrated that security cannot be achieved without the cooperation of neighbors. In this regard, Iranian president's visit to Pakistan can be seen as an opportunity to advance the path of joint cooperation in combating terrorism and enhancing regional security.
One important aspect of Tehran-Islamabad relations, emphasized by senior officials of both countries, is the unified approach to security against terrorism and border security violators. This issue has been addressed through bilateral security and military agreements as well as conducting joint exercises. Strengthening this process can enhance the position of both countries in combating terrorism regionally and globally, alongside achieving security in the region.
It was on this basis that in the joint statement of Iran and Pakistan, both sides acknowledged that the Pakistan-Iran border should be a "border of peace and friendship," emphasizing the importance of regular cooperation and dialogue between the political, military, and security authorities of the two countries to confront threats such as terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, kidnapping, money laundering, and abduction. The statement also reminded that both sides, while condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, consider it a common threat to peace, stability, and development in the region.
Unified regional and global perspectives
One important aspect of the Iranian president’s visit to Pakistan is the unified perspective on global developments. Tehran-Islamabad's shared and cohesive positions on issues such as Palestine, both countries' membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and Pakistan's efforts to join the BRICS double the opportunities for Tehran and Islamabad to coordinate more effectively in international arenas.
NOURNEWS