Iran, Pakistan Sign Security Agreement
ISLAMABAD (Dispatches) -- Iran and Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to expand security cooperation between the two neighboring nations.
The cooperation agreement was signed by Iran’s parliament speaker Ali Larijani and Pakistan's National Assembly speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on Thursday.
In the MoU, the two neighbors condemned the actions of certain terrorist elements which seek to create insecurity along the borders of the two countries.
The document highlighted Tehran and Islamabad’s common concerns regarding the escalation of terrorism, drug trafficking and insecurity in the region while agreeing to boost their collaboration to ensure the region’s sustainable security.
The agreement also underlined the importance of strengthening inter-parliamentary relations as an effective factor in consolidating bilateral ties between Iran and Pakistan.
On Friday Larijani met with Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain. He warned against the enemies’ plot to spread extremism across the Middle East and called for a collective campaign to eradicate the phenomenon.
Larijani pointed to extremism as a regional problem, noting, "The phenomenon has been created in the region by the enemies and an effective joint campaign by the regional countries against such phenomena is a necessity.”
Larijani, on a two-day visit to Pakistan, expressed regret over the insecurity occasionally caused by terrorists across the two countries’ border and called for Tehran-Islamabad cooperation to prevent such incidents.
The Pakistani president, for his part, praised Iran’s determination to expand its relations with Pakistan and stressed that Islamabad seeks closer ties with all countries, particularly its neighboring states.
He also underlined Pakistan’s determination to continue combat against terrorism until it completely uproots violence and insecurity.
In October, Iran summoned Pakistan’s ambassador to Tehran over a series of terrorist incidents that killed several Iranian guards at the Pakistani border.
Iran has repeatedly criticized its eastern neighbors for failing to rein in terrorists who cross the borders back into these countries after carrying out attacks on Iranian soil.