Iran, Pakistan agree to improve security ties

Iran and Pakistan agreed to expand security cooperation on Monday in a bid to improve relations following deadly cross border strikes earlier this month.

Tensions between the two neighbors were raised after Iran killed two children when it conducted unilateral strikes against suspected insurgents in Pakistani territory.

Pakistan then conducted strikes against suspected insurgents in Iranian territory in retaliation.

On Monday, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian met with Pakistan's caretaker foreign minister, Jalil Abbas Jilani, in Islamabad.

Amirabdollahian said the two countries "strongly respect sovereignty and territorial integrity of each other," and would solve future issues through diplomatic means.

"All these channels were operational and we were able to bring whatever issue or misunderstanding that had been created between our two countries, we were able to resolve it fairly quickly," Jilani said.

Coordinating to fight terrorism

As part of the rapprochement, the two countries agreed to fight terrorism within their respective areas and establish a system of consultations at the level of the foreign ministers to oversee progress across sectors, Jilani said.

Abdollahian said there had never been any wars or territorial disputes between Iran and Pakistan.

"We consider Pakistan's security, a brotherly, friendly and neighborly country of Iran, as the security of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the security of the whole region," Abdollahian said.

"Through joint cooperation between Tehran and Islamabad, we will not let terrorists endanger and threaten the security of the two nations."

He also said that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi would soon make a visit Pakistan.

zc/wmr (AP, Reuters)