Rouhani Discusses Anti-Terror Cooperation with Turkish, Pakistani Speakers
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – In meetings with parliament speakers of Turkey and Pakistan, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani discussed plans for cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
Speaker of Turkey’s Grand National Assembly Binali Yildirim and Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan Asad Qaiser, who are in Tehran for the 2nd conference of parliament speakers of Iran, China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia and Turkey, held separate meetings with Rouhani on Saturday.
In the meeting with Yildirim, the Iranian president said Tehran and Ankara have been dealing with the problem of terrorism for years, and every time the two neighbors have promoted cooperation in the war on terrorism, they have achieved more success.
Rouhani also voiced Iran’s willingness for closer interaction with Turkey in various fields, such as the energy and banking industry.
For his part, the Turkish speaker referred to the threat of terrorism as the common enemy of Turkey and Iran, stressing that regional terrorism requires a regional solution and that interference by trans-regional powers would only complicate the situation.
Yildirim also gave an assurance that Turkey will maintain relations with Iran under any circumstances, and denounced the US sanctions against the Islamic Republic as false and counterproductive.
In the meeting with Pakistan’s parliament speaker, Rouhani said those who created terrorist groups in the past decades committed treason against regional nations, adding, “Many of these terrorist groups were created amid the proxy war between the US and the Soviet Union, but took other forms and objectives later.”
Hailing Pakistan as a brotherly neighbor of Iran, the president said a number of groups are upsetting security along the common border, and expressed hope that the Pakistani army’s serious activities would secure the release of the remaining Iranian border guards abducted by terrorists at a military post on the common border back in October.
Asad Qaiser, for his part, said the Pakistani government, nation and political parties are united against terrorism, adding that Islamabad is prepared for interaction with Tehran to combat terrorism and expand regional security.
Iran and Pakistan enjoy cordial and friendly ties that could not be harmed by anyone, he stressed.
The so-called Jaish-ul-Adl terrorist group infiltrated Iran from the Pakistani side of the border on October 15 and took hostage 14 border guards, local Basij forces, and IRGC members.
On November 22, five abductees returned to Iran after consultations and interaction with Pakistan.
