Pakistan and Iran have jointly affirmed that the Kashmir issue should be resolved peacefully according to the wishes of the region’s people.
This statement was issued following Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s first visit to Pakistan from April 22-24, where he was invited by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The joint statement emphasised the importance of dialogue and diplomacy for resolving disputes, including Kashmir, in line with international law and the will of the Kashmiri people.
According to the joint statement, both Iran and Pakistan, agreed to expeditiously finalise the FTA and hold the next sessions of annual Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC) and Joint Business Trade Committee (JBTC) as well as the 22nd round of the negotiations of the Joint Economic Commission (JEC) in the near future”.
Last month, Iranian Ambassador Dr Reza Amiri Moghadam had said the FTA would increase mutual trade, highlighting the need to have strong air, maritime and sea links.
The joint statement recalled the exchanges and meetings during Raisi’s visit to Pakistan, saying that both sides “reviewed the entire spectrum of Pakistan-Iran bilateral relations”.
Both neighbours also agreed to “enhance mutual interaction through regular exchange of high-level visits”, it added.
Pakistan and Iran also agreed to facilitate a regular exchange of economic and technical experts, as well as delegations from Chambers of Commerce from both countries to intensify economic cooperation.
The declaration of the Reemdan border point as an international border crossing point under the TIR Convention and the opening of the remaining two border sustenance markets was also agreed upon, the statement said.
It added that both countries “affirmed their commitment to transform their common border from ‘border of peace’ to a ‘border of prosperity’ through joint development-oriented economic projects, including setting up of joint border markets, economic free zones, and new border openings”.
