BISHKEK: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday stressed the need for Pakistan and Iran to work together to promote regional peace and de-escalate tensions, saying the understandings reached under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding (MoU) offered a viable pathway towards enduring peace and stability in the region. The prime minister made the remarks during a warm and cordial meeting with Iranian President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State meeting in Bishkek, where the two leaders reviewed bilateral relations and the evolving regional situation.
Shehbaz stressed the importance of restraint and sustained diplomatic engagement to achieve lasting peace and stability. He reaffirmed that Pakistan would continue its sincere efforts for regional peacebuilding. Referring to the recent visit of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir to Tehran, the prime minister said his constructive engagements in Iran augured well for regional peace and de-escalation.
On 18 June, the United States and Iran reached a 14-point interim agreement, titled the "Islamabad MoU", aimed at halting the Middle East war. The prime minister underscored the need to build on the understandings reached under the MoU, saying it represented the only viable pathway towards enduring peace in the region.
The two leaders reaffirmed the close and longstanding ties between Pakistan and Iran and agreed on the need to further strengthen bilateral relations across all areas of mutual cooperation, in line with the decisions taken during President Pezeshkian's visit to Pakistan earlier this year, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office. They also reviewed ongoing efforts to enhance regional connectivity and people-to-people contacts and exchanged views on developments in the region.
President Pezeshkian appreciated Pakistan's consistent diplomatic efforts for regional peace and security and expressed Tehran's strong desire to further deepen cooperation with Islamabad across a wide range of sectors. During the meeting, Shehbaz Sharif invited President Pezeshkian to undertake an official visit to Pakistan at his earliest convenience, while the Iranian president invited the prime minister to attend the forthcoming Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit scheduled to be held in Tehran in December.