TEHRAN -- Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday met with his Iranian counterpart as part of regular high-level exchanges between the two neighbors on his first visit to Tehran.
During a joint press conference, Zardari and Hussein Amir-Abdollahian said they discussed issues of mutual interest such as trade cooperation, border markets, and development of local trade. The top Pakistani diplomat arrived here for a two-day visit and is scheduled to visit Mashhad on Wednesday.
The two foreign ministers said they also talked about road and rail connectivity and tourism, as well as gas and electricity exports from Iran to Pakistan, adding that they also reviewed regional security issues with a particular focus on developments in Afghanistan and South Asia.
The two had met on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos late in May, calling for bolstering bilateral cooperation.
Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Iran and Turkmenistan explored avenues for promotion of mutual and multilateral cooperation between the two neighbors and implementation of comprehensive agreements.
Amir-Abdollahian and his Turkmen counterpart Rasit Meredow met ahead of an official visit by Turkmenistan’s President Serdar Berdimuhamedow on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations.
Highlighting the strong foundations of expansion of relations between Tehran and Ashgabat, Amir-Abdollahian stressed the need for a full implementation of comprehensive agreements and memorandums of understanding.
He said Iran and Turkmenistan will cooperate on three main topics this year through holding the 17th session of the Joint Economic Commission, the 15th meeting of Joint Commission on Consular and Border Affairs, and a meeting of the Joint Committee of Political Consultations between the foreign ministries of the two neighbors.
For his part, Meredow said the Turkmen president’s forthcoming visit to Iran signifies the great importance that his country attaches to relations with Iran.
He said Ashgabat has prepared a series of documents and projects and hopes to bring them into operation during the presidential visit.
Meredow also emphasized the need for bilateral and five-party cooperation to make arrangements for a summit meeting of the Caspian Sea states in Ashgabat.
Other subjects discussed in the meeting included plans for protecting the Caspian Sea’s stability, security and environment, the developments in Afghanistan, and issues relating to the Central Asia region.