Pakistan, Iran sign MoU to improve border situation

—Balochistan delegation calls on Iranian minister in Tehran

GWADAR/TEHRAN: Pakistan and Iran have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to improve border situation, Radio Pakistan reported on Sunday.

The MoU was signed during the 21st two-day meeting of Pak-Iran Joint Border Commission in Gwadar. The joint proposals pertaining to border situation, security matters, immigration and border trade between two countries came under discussion.

The meeting expressed firm determination to check drugs smuggling, the intrusion of illegal immigrants and not let the use of their respective soils for terrorism against each other.

Provincial Chief Secretary Aurangzeb Haque led the Pakistani side while Deputy Governor Sistan-Balochistan province Ali Asghar Mir Shikari headed Iranian delegation in the meeting.

Separately, a delegation from Balochistan called on Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Morteza Sarmadi and discussed bilateral and regional issues, including border security.

The delegation, headed by Balochistan Assembly Speaker Rahila Hameed Khan Durrani, held talks with Sarmadi on Saturday over border security, visa issuance, gas export, establishing Quetta-Zahedan flights, electricity export, boosting economic cooperation and resolving banking issues.

The delegation arrived in Shiraz, southern Iran on October 10 and held talks with local officials in Fars province as well.

The members of the parliamentary delegation from Pakistan’s Balochistan also met Iran’s parliament speaker Ali Larijani and President Hassan Rouhani’s deputy for women and family affairs.  They also exchanged views on the development of economic cooperation and removal of obstacles in the way of banking relations.

Earlier on the sidelines of the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Pakistan and Iran agreed to “maintain a trajectory of positive progress” between the two countries in a meeting between Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Iranian President Muhammad Hassan Rouhani.