President Raisi: Iran, Pakistan enjoy capacity for expansion of relations

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Thursday that there are untapped capacities for promotion of relations between Tehran and Islamabad.

The president made the remarks during a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on the sidelines of the 21st Shanghai Cooperation Organization (OIC) in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

Noting that Iran is resolved to enhance relations with regional countries, Raisi said that Iran attaches special significance to the promotion of relations with Pakistan.  

The Iranian president referred to Iran's long border with Pakistan and said that establishment of security along the joint border can give a boost to economic and trade exchanges between the two countries.

He also touched upon the developments going on in Afghanistan and said that 20 years of the presence of US forces in Afghanistan had nothing but devastation, displacement and killing of more than 35,000 children and thousands of Afghan women and men.  

The withdrawal of US troops has provided a historic chance for formation of a democratic government in Afghanistan and establishment of peace to the country and the entire region, Raisi said.  

The Pakistani prime minister, for his part, said that his country is seeking to expand relations with Iran, especially in the area of transportation.  

Imran Khan said that a safe and secure Afghanistan would benefit the interests of all the regional and world countries.

If an all-inclusive government is not formed in Afghanistan, the problems of this country will intensify and it will inflict losses on Iran and Pakistan more than any other country, he said.