ALI HUSSAIN

ISLAMABAD: Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif Monday categorically declared that his country would never allow its territory to be used against Pakistan, suggesting a new paradigm for the region based on “neighborhood networking” instead of creating “alliances.”

The visiting Iranian foreign minister, who arrived here on a three-day visit on Sunday along with a delegation, held meetings with Pakistani leadership including Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif.

The two sides held consultations on bilateral relations and regional peace and security in which Pakistan’s side was led by Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif and his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif led his country’s delegation.

“The two sides agreed to continue engagement for enhancing economic cooperation including bilateral trade, investments and commercial interaction to promote shared prosperity,” said a Foreign Office statement.

It stated that the two sides reiterated their resolve to achieve the target of $5 billion trade by 2021 through regular exchange of trade delegations, establishing banking channels, holding trade exhibitions and addressing tariff and non-tariff barriers. They further resolved to conclude the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on priority.

“The foreign ministers underlined that two brotherly neighbouring countries Iran and Pakistan would deepen connectivity between the two “sister ports” of Gwadar and Chabahar to benefit from their complementarities,” it stated.

“Pakistan and Iran strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and appreciate increased cooperation in border security,” it stated, adding that to facilitate movement of people and goods across the borders, it was agreed to expedite operationalization of two new border crossings.

The two foreign ministers also exchanged views on important developments on regional and international peace and security. They supported political resolution of the Afghan conflict for durable peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region, it added.

Expressing concerns over growing presence of Daesh in Afghanistan and its implications for regional security, the two sides underlined the need for further cooperation against transnational terrorist groups.

“Pakistan and Iran reiterated support for the peaceful struggle of the peoples of Palestine and Kashmir for their right to self-determination,” it stated, adding the two countries also emphasised the need for honoring of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) commitments by all parties.

The visiting Iranian foreign minister also addressed a public talk on ‘70 Years of Pakistan-Iran Relations and Future Prospects’ at Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), where he insisted that Iranian Chabahar and Pakistan’s Gwadar ports are complementary to each other, adding that Iran had also offered China and Pakistan to participate in Chabahar.

“Iran will never allow anyone to hurt Pakistan from Iranian territory, just like we know that Pakistan will never allow anyone to hurt Iran from its territory,” Zarif said and insisted that Iran’s relations with India were not against Pakistan.

“Our relations with India are not against Pakistan just like Pakistan’s relations with Saudi Arabia are not against Iran …we want to develop Chabahar as a complementary port to Gwadar and not as competing port because we believe that the area of Eastern Iran and South-Eastern Iran as well as South-Western Pakistan is an area that requires development,” he said, adding that both the sides needed to work together for its development.

He said the development of the area would help address the poverty which would ultimately eradicate extremism and terrorism on both the sides. “It [Chabahar] is not a project to encircle Pakistan or against anybody but a project for development of the region which requires a lot of development,” he said, adding Iran wanted that both Chabahar and Gwadar should be linked together through sea and land.

He also hoped that the hindrance in Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project and banking relations between the two countries would be addressed soon for the benefits of the people of the two countries.

In an apparent reference to power struggles in the Middle East and the Saudi-led military alliance of 41 Muslim countries, Zarif said: “We need to change our approach and I believe that Pakistan and Iran are prudent enough and have a solid foundation to lead the change for a stronger neighborhood based on the concept of “inclusion” and accepting the participation of all and move away from something that has caused bloodshed, misery and underdevelopment and move towards becoming a united Ummah…and then we will become an example for the whole world.”

The Iranian foreign minister said Iran was also ready to resolve its issues with Saudi Arabia, adding that various leaders of the Muslim countries including former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Emir of Kuwait had played their role in that regard.

“We responded positively to the mediations. But Saudi Arabia rejected any negotiation [with Iran]. In fact, they [Saudis] believe that it is in their interest to portray Iran as a threat to the region. What kind of threat we are posing to the region...We offered to hold talks on each and every bilateral and multilateral issue,” he said.

“You cannot buy your security from outside [forces] but you greatest security is within your own, which is your people,” he added without explaining any reference.

He said Iran and Pakistan had the longest diplomatic relations which were deep-rooted in common history, culture and values.

He said a move by Pakistan and Iran to establish even stronger ties, including increased economic, political, cultural and people-to-people relations, was in the interest of the entire region.

Zarif stated that both Iran and Pakistan, as two major Muslim countries in a very difficult region, had a bigger task to change the paradigm from exclusion, rivalry and dependence on outside sources.

“We need to build a new paradigm in this neighborhood based on ‘a new neighborhood networking policy’. There is an illusion that security can be purchased. Our world is not a world of coalitions anymore because we now build coalitions only to find our allies turning against us,” he added.

In order to have a better region, he said, the countries needed to move to a paradigm based on the understanding of the most important concept that security cannot be gained by deterring others.

“Syria and Yemen are miseries which our own wrong choices have brought not only to us but also to innocent civilians and we continue to blame each other for this. Blaming may be a nice scapegoat, but it does not resolve problems,” he added.

“The Islamic world can be a very strong Ummah provided that no country tries to become the dominant force in the Ummah and no one tries to exclude anyone in the region. We need a strong region rather than a strong man. Our region - Asia - can become a basin for knowledge and development,” he said, adding, “We do not need to have competition at the expense of each other.”

“Instead of forming blocks, we need to form networks because while the former are created to exclude somebody, the latter are built to include all,” he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Sartaj Aziz said the common objective of both Iran and Pakistan was the unity and prosperity of the Muslim Ummah.

He said the heart of diplomacy was in geo-economics; hence trade and investment should be increased. In this regard, both countries should improve their facilities and common links through both land and sea, he said, adding that strengthening economies and people to people links would result in a fruitful relationship beneficial to people of the both sides.

Earlier, the visiting Iranian foreign minister along with Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif addressed the Pakistan- Iran Business Forum.

Addressing the forum, Khawaja Asif emphasized the need for removing the tariff and no-tariff barriers in expanding the volume of bilateral trade, adding the two countries could also be benefited by entering into free trade agreements.

Referring to the challenges in the region, he said the region was facing numerous challenges due to interference of the foreign powers.

Describing Gwadar and Chabahar as sister ports, he said that a railway track was being extended from Gwadar to Chabahar to connect the two ports with each other, adding that a ferry service was also under consideration between the two ports to facilitate the pilgrims.

Zarif in his address said that during the current year, the bilateral trade between the two countries witnessed 50 percent increase, adding there was a great potential to further increase the two-way trade.

He pointed out that Iran had invested $2 billion in the IP gas project and expressed the hope that the problems in the execution of the project would be addressed soon.

Business-to-business level talks were also held among the representatives of the chambers of commerce and industries of the two countries to explore new avenues of cooperation in various areas of commerce, trade and economy.