FO says Naqvi's visit to Iran aimed at discussing bilateral relations, regional peace and stability
AI Summary
Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited Iran to discuss bilateral relations, security, and regional peace and stability. The visit also focused on Pakistan's mediation efforts between the US and Iran and a recent defense pact involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye to strengthen collective regional security.
The Foreign Office (FO) said on Wednesday that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s visit to Iran was aimed at discussing bilateral relations, security-related matters and regional developments, particularly peace and stability in the region. Addressing a weekly press briefing, FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Naqvi — who arrived in Tehran on Tuesday — was holding meetings with senior Iranian officials. He added that the visit provides the two countries the opportunity to discuss “bilateral relations, security-related matters, and regional development, with a particular focus on efforts to promote peace, stability, and constructive engagement amongst the parties in the region and regional developments”. Naqvi was received in Tehran by his Iranian counterpart, Eskandar Momeni, and later held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Iranian media reported. A diplomatic source had told Dawn from Tehran that the principal objective of Naqvi’s visit was to follow up on the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and Pakistan’s mediation between Iran and the US. Speaking further on Pakistan’s mediation efforts between the US and Iran, Andrabi reiterated that Pakistan remained engaged alongside “brotherly states” in “sincere efforts” to work towards a resolution to the crisis. “Pakistan is making all-out efforts to bring the two parties to the negotiating table and the Islamabad MoU and pave the way for peace and stability in the region,” he said. He also warned that Pakistan would continue to “offset spoilers using direct and indirect channels” and ensure the continuation of constructive dialogue to resolve outstanding issues. Makkah pact reflects ‘resolve for sharing burden of regional peace’ The FO spokesperson also spoke of the defence pact signed last week between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, which he said was “highlight of the week”. The joint defence agreement, signed in Makkah on Friday, aims to strengthen collective deterrence and empowers its signatory states to treat an attack against one of them as an attack against all of them. He said the agreement reflected the three nations’ “commitment to further strengthen their collective security, promoting peace security and promoting peace security and stability in the region and beyond”. He said the agreement reflected the “long-standing brotherly relations” among the three countries and “displays our resolve for sharing the burden of regional peace and security”. “The agreement is purely defensive in nature and allows unified efforts to confront threats and security challenges to the member states,” Andrabi added, recalling Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s statement congratulating the nation on the agreement on August 10, wherein he held the agreement was defensive in nature and not against any country.