Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar will visit Iran on December 2-3 for the ECO meeting.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, will visit Iran on December 2-3 to attend the 28th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Council of Ministers meeting, Pakistan’s Foreign Office confirmed on Friday.
The visit comes amid ongoing tensions between Pakistan and Iran despite several attempts at cooperation. It should be noted that the two countries signed a $7 billion deal for the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project in 2004, but it remains incomplete even after 20 years. While Iran has completed construction on its side, Pakistan is facing difficulties in proceeding due to international sanctions on Iran.
At the ECO meeting in Mashhad, Dar is expected to emphasize the importance of enhancing regional connectivity. According to Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Dar will discuss the potential benefits of developing road and rail networks, liberalizing the visa system, simplifying border procedures and promoting sustainable development in the region. Additionally, Dar will sign a charter for the establishment of the ECO Clean Energy Center and engage in bilateral meetings with ministers and other dignitaries on the sidelines.
The Deputy Prime Minister will also express concern about the ongoing instability in the Middle East, stressing how it threatens regional peace and security. The visit follows the recent two-day visit of Iranian Foreign Minister Syed Abbas Araqchi to Islamabad, who met Pakistani leaders to discuss the situation in Gaza and Lebanon as well as bilateral relations.
Despite several agreements between the two countries, tensions have risen over security issues along their shared border, with both countries accusing the other of failing to tackle militancy. It came to light earlier this year when both Pakistan and Iran launched cross-border airstrikes, each targeting suspected militant hideouts in the other’s territory.
In April, Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi paid a three-day visit to Pakistan with the aim of reducing these tensions and enhancing bilateral relations. During the visit, the two countries signed memorandums of understanding in various fields including trade, science and technology, agriculture, health, culture and judicial cooperation.
