Eurasia Press & News
TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- A senior Pakistani lawmaker voiced his country’s support for the construction of Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, stressing that Tehran-Islamabad cordial ties will enter a new phase following the endorsement of the pipeline construction contract.
Chairman of the Foreign Policy Commission of Pakistan’s Senate Mushahid Hussein made the remarks in a meeting with the chairman of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaoddin Boroujerdi here on Saturday.
A report released by the Information and Media Department of the Islamic Consultative Assembly said that during the meeting, Boroujerdi noted the two nations’ historical and profound relations, and expressed the Iranian parliament’s serious support for the consolidation and development of friendly ties between the two states.
He further stressed that the Islamic Consultative Assembly has always supported expansion of cooperation with all the neighboring states, Pakistan in particular.
The legislative official viewed historical and cultural commonalities as well as long borders shared by the two states as significant and influential factors contributing to the reinvigoration of Iran-Pakistan relations, and described the visit to Tehran by the Pakistani parliamentary delegation as a new step in the further expansion of cooperation by the legislative bodies from the two great Islamic neighbors.
Noting the importance of energy in the world, Boroujerdi stressed the need for the accelerated execution of Iran’s gas pipeline to India via Pakistan — also known as the peace pipeline– as a symbol of the two countries’ friendly cooperation.
Elsewhere, he pointed to the present conditions in Afghanistan, and underlined that restoration of peace, security and stability in that country constitutes Iran’s basic policy.
“It is now time for the Afghan nation, who neighbors Iran and Pakistan, to enjoy peace, welfare and security after two decades of unrest,” the Iranian MP stated.
Referring to Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities, he stressed the Iranian nation’s firm determination to use the technology for peaceful purposes, and said, “All Iranian people from different walks of life are in pursuit of their inalienable right to benefit from the civilian nuclear technology.”
Boroujerdi further briefed his Pakistani colleague about the historical background of the West’s nuclear cooperation with the ex-Pahlavi regime, and termed the United States’ treatment of Iran’s nuclear case as fully political.
“The manner that the West has approached and interacted with the issue of Iran’s peaceful use of nuclear energy has caused the Iranian nation’s complete distrust in the other party,” he continued.
Also noting regional conditions, the chairman of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission pointed to the new plots hatched by the enemies and said, “They (enemies) foment religious differences and conflicts in Iraq in a bid to undermine the world of Islam.”
For his part, Chairman of the Foreign Policy Commission of Pakistan’s Senate Mushahid Hussein viewed the two countries’ relations as historical, and said that the two nations’ religious and cultural bonds and interests underpin their ties.
He further voiced Islamabad’s support for the construction of Iran’s natural gas pipeline, and stressed that following the endorsement of the contract for the construction of the natural gas pipeline, the two countries’ friendly ties would enter a new phase.
The Pakistani top lawmaker also stressed Pakistan’s strong support for Iran’s right to access and use peaceful nuclear energy, and underlined the need for the peaceful solution of Iran’s nuclear standoff through talks.
“We believe that Iran’s nuclear issue must be solved through the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and that the other side must refrain from taking any action against Iran,” he underscored.
Mushahid Hussein also viewed increased plantation and production of illicit drugs in Afghanistan as a common threat to both Iran and Pakistan, and further reiterated the necessity for the two countries’ mutual cooperation to launch a serious campaign against drug trafficking in the region.
The Chairman of the Foreign Policy Commission of Pakistan’s Senate arrived here in Tehran on Friday to attend talks with the Iranian political and parliamentary officials to explore avenues available for the expansion and consolidation of mutual ties and regional cooperation and exchange views about other issues of mutual interest.
