Iran, Pakistan ministers stress border security, trade

Speaking to reporters after meeting with Mohsin Naqvi, Federal Minister for Interior of Pakistan in Tehran on Tuesday, the Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni said that "Several meetings were held over the past two days, and today's meeting with Mr. Naqvi, the Interior Minister of Pakistan, was also a very good meeting.

Momeni added that "In this meeting, several issues were brought up, including border security, the fight against terrorism, the fight against drugs, and also the issue of Arbaeen pilgrims who enter our country from Pakistan and travel towards Iraq."

Emphasizing that good decisions were made at the Tuesday meeting, the Iranian Interior Minister added that "this meeting could open a new chapter in relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan, and in the near future we will witness the promotion of bilateral relations in all sectors."

Referring to the expansion of economic cooperation between the two countries, Momeni said that, "In this meeting, border exchanges, the development of border markets, as well as increasing the working hours of customs at the shared border crossings and markets were discussed, and it was decided that some of these crossings will operate 24/7."

He noted that,"The borders between Iran and Pakistan are borders of friendship and brotherhood,", adding that "the result of today's decisions will contribute to improving security on both sides of the border, developing relations, and expanding bilateral trade."

Heading a delegation, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Tehran on Monday and held talks with the top Iranian officials, including the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian./Mehr