ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for regional peace and diplomacy as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Islamabad on his first state visit to Pakistan since the recent US-Iran conflict.
President Pezeshkian visited Pakistan at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and was welcomed with an official reception before high-level meetings with Pakistan’s leadership. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accompanied the delegation during the visit.
During talks at Aiwan-i-Sadr, the two presidents reviewed bilateral ties and exchanged views on regional peace and security, economic cooperation, connectivity and broader issues of mutual interest.
President Zardari described the visit as a reflection of the longstanding and brotherly relationship between Pakistan and Iran and said both countries had continued to stand together during difficult periods.
He reiterated Pakistan’s position in favour of dialogue and diplomacy as the preferred path for resolving regional and international challenges and emphasised the importance of preserving unity within the Muslim world while maintaining strong relations across the Gulf region.
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President Zardari also welcomed the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Iran and expressed hope that ongoing technical discussions would contribute to lasting peace and stability across the region.
The Pakistani president reaffirmed support for Iran’s peace, stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity and extended condolences over the losses suffered during the conflict.
President Pezeshkian thanked Pakistan for what he described as constructive efforts in supporting peace initiatives and acknowledged Islamabad’s engagement during recent regional developments.
The Iranian president said Tehran places significant importance on its relationship with Pakistan and expressed interest in expanding cooperation in political, economic, security and regional areas.
Later, President Pezeshkian held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister’s House. Senior Pakistani officials, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and military leadership, attended the discussions before delegation-level talks proceeded.
