President Masoud Pezeshkian has underlined the need for comprehensive peace throughout West Asia, where no one will be subjected to violence.
He made the remarks on Monday during a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran firmly believes that peace and security must prevail throughout the region, and that people, regardless of their religion, sect, or ethnicity, should not be subjected to war, violence, or conflict,” he said.
Pezeshkian also said Islamic countries have the capability to resolve their own disputes and internal issues, and that they can address their problems and differences through dialogue and cooperation, without foreign intervention.
Iran, he added, “has consistently maintained that if Muslim states stand united and act in solidarity, the Zionist regime would not dare attack them so easily.”
Meanwhile, the Iranian president welcomed a recently signed defense agreement among Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey, known as the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, as a step toward strengthening unity across the Islamic world.
He further expressed hope that other countries in the region and across the Muslim world will also join the pact and expand their cooperation in defensive, political, economic, and cultural areas.
Additionally, the Iranian president voiced his satisfaction with the growing Tehran-Islamabad relations and thanked the Pakistani prime minister for attending the funeral ceremony for the martyrs of the illegal US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran.
He also appreciated the Pakistani government for its active and constructive role in the negotiations that led to a war-termination deal between Iran and the United States.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran remains ready to implement the agreement reached through the efforts of the friendly and brotherly government of Pakistan, provided that the other side also honors and fulfills its commitments.”
Pakistan brokered the Iran-US Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on June 17 that required both sides to end all hostilities and prepare for further negotiations. However, the US violated the deal by conducting deadly aerial assaults on Iran and imposing a naval blockade of the country.
Pakistan had previously played a pivotal role in securing the April 8 ceasefire that brought an end to the 40-day criminal US-Israeli aggression against Iran.
Sharif, for his part, said enhanced cooperation and coordination between Iran and Pakistan in recent months have produced very positive results.
Regional conflicts and insecurity have created problems and concerns for the people of the region and millions around the world, he added, urging regional countries to step up cooperation and coordination aimed at bringing an end to the current situation.
The Pakistani prime minister also pointed to growing international public support for Iran, saying that today the majority of people across the globe recognize Tehran’s position as justified.
Moreover, he expressed hope for peace and security in the region through dialogue and within the framework of the Islamabad MoU.
Iran and Pakistan are two brotherly states, he said, which have a duty to work for the peace, prosperity, and happiness of their own people and those in the region.
Pakistan shares in joy and happiness of the Iranian people, as well as their sorrow and pain, the Pakistani prime minister said.
He also said the Mecca Agreement is defensive in nature and that it is not directed against any country.