Afghan future depends on inclusive government

Pakistan’s Ambassador to Tehran, Rahim Hayat Qureshi, met Vahid Jalalzadeh, Chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian parliament. 

Jalalzadeh said religious, historical and cultural commonalities between the two nations and good neighborliness are important factors in deepening relations between the two neighbors in various areas.

The senior legislator stressed the importance of parliamentary diplomacy to help remove obstacles to development of economic and trade relations and said, “Continuous consultation and positive and growing dialogue between government officials, military officials, and parliamentarians are a sign of the depth of friendship and brotherhood of the two nations.”

These will help “strengthen and consolidate cooperation between each other in various fields, especially in the field of economics,” he remarked.

He added that Iranian businessmen are looking to increase the level of their economic relations with Pakistan. 

“We know this is a reciprocal feeling. We expect the officials of the relevant departments to try to pave this way.” 

In another part of his remarks, the MP reiterated the important of security cooperation in border areas to counter the actions of terrorist groups, saying the terrorist groups are not aware of the very strong relations between the officials of the two countries. 

Jalalzadeh added, “In the Islamic Republic of Iran, there is a strong consensus among the country's top officials to increase interactions with neighbors, especially the friendly and brotherly country of Pakistan.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, the legislator emphasized the establishment of peace and stability in the region, especially in Afghanistan, and said that the Afghan people have been suffering from occupation and war for four decades. 

“There should be lasting stability and security, as well as formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan. Iran and Pakistan, as two key players in Afghanistan, can work together to alleviate the suffering of the people of this country,” Jalalzadeh pointed out.

In conclusion, Jalalzadeh emphasized the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear activities and added that in the last two years, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has visited Iran's nuclear sites 15 times and confirmed the peaceful nature of nuclear activities, yet Iran is under unilateral pressure from the United States.

The US and the Zionist regime continue to claim that they are concerned over Iran's nuclear activities, he noted.

For his part, Ambassador Qureshi referred to the 70th anniversary of Pakistan's independence and said Iran was the first country to recognize Pakistan’s independence.
He also considered religious, historical and cultural affinities as important in strengthening relations between Pakistan and Iran.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Qureshi said relevant Pakistani officials are moving to establish border markets with Iran.

Pointing to the high economic potential of the two countries to develop cooperation, he said, “Agreements have been signed between the officials of the two sides, which we hope will be able to increase and strengthen the level of economic and trade exchanges more than before.”

The Pakistani envoy also stressed the important and effective position and role of Iran in resolving the crisis in Afghanistan, saying the difficult situation in Afghanistan is a matter of concern for Pakistan. 

“Establishing lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan is important for the region and neighboring countries. We hope that this will be achieved with the help of the Islamic Republic of Iran in forming an inclusive government,” he concluded.