TEHRAN: Iranian Minister Ahmad Amirabadi Farahani on Tuesday said that Pakistan and Iran are heading towards taking some major steps for better border management adding that there is need to enhance more cooperation between Quetta and the Iranian city of Zahedan, according to an Iranian news agency.
He said this in an interview with IRNA. He further said that Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq is scheduled to travel to Iran in January to sign the MoU with Iranian Speaker Ali Larijani.
The Iranian minister also said that strong cooperation between the parliaments of Pakistan and Iran can also help strengthening ties between the two neighbouring states.
The lawmaker said for past decades parliaments of Iran and Pakistan have been enjoying strong relations.
‘Pakistan Chairman of Senate and National Assembly Speaker Pakistan Sardar Ayaz Sadiq visited Iran this year and Iran Majlis (Parliament) Speaker Ali Larijani visited Pakistan to participate in Speakers Conference in Islamabad.’
He also said that two parliamentary delegations from Iran will visit Pakistan very soon.
‘During the previous meetings, Iran and Pakistani parliamentarians explored avenues to further enhance their cooperation. We focused more on those issues which have been given less attention like economic and trade ties.’
Farahani added that a representative of Central Bank of Iran was in the delegation that visited Pakistan, for the resumption of banking ties with Pakistan. ‘Representatives of both Pakistani and Iranian central banks had a useful discussion in the presence of the speakers of the two countries.’
The Iranian MP informed that discussions are underway for the visits of Iranian Chairman of Iranian Parliament’s Committee for Foreign Policy and National Security Alaeddin Boroujerdi, to Gwadar and his Pakistani counterpart to Chabahar.
Farahani said during his Pakistan visit he also met the Pakistani Parliamentary group to further enhance cooperation between the parliaments of the two friendly countries.