Iran Sees Pakistan’s Security in Line with Its Own: President Rouhani
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani described security as a major issue in the region and said the Islamic Republic considers Pakistan’s security to be in line with its own.
Speaking at a meeting with Chairman of Pakistan’s Senate Reza Rabbani in Tehran on Monday, Rouhani described closer ties with neighbors as one of the main priorities of Iran’s foreign policy.
Iran will always side with the “friend and brother” nation of Pakistan and welcomes the expansion of relations with the country in all spheres, he said.
The president further described security as the most important issue in the current situation of the region, saying, “The Islamic Republic of Iran regards the security of Pakistan o be in line with its own security.”
The Pakistani parliamentarian, for his part, stressed the need to deepen bilateral relations between the two countries in all areas, including security, based on mutual interests.
In recent years, there have been sporadic incidents on Iran-Pakistan border with terrorist elements operating inside Pakistan launching cross-border attacks. But the two countries have been working to enhance security in the region.
In a latest such incident, a cross-border terrorist attack from inside Pakistan took place on April 26, in which ten Iranian servicemen were killed on duty in Mirjaveh, in Sistan and Balouchestan.
Iran’s Police said they were killed by long-range weapons fired from Pakistani soil.
One day later on April 27, President Rouhani sent a letter to the then prime minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif, calling on Islamabad to prosecute and bring to justice the perpetrators of the attack and work to curb terrorist groups’ activities along the common border.
