Pakistan will continue its efforts for lasting peace in the Middle East, Naqvi tells Iranian counterpart

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with his Iranian counterpart, Eskandar Momeni, and stated that Pakistan would continue its efforts for lasting peace in the Middle East, the interior ministry said on Wednesday. In a statement, the ministry said the two ministers met in Islamabad, and held a detailed discussion on Pak-Iran ties and the latest situation in the region. Momeni was part of a delegation led by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, which visited Pakistan on Tuesday after the US and Iran signed a ‘Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding’ (MoU) to end the Middle East conflict and held high-level talks in Burgenstock, Switzerland. According to the ministry, the Iranian minister thanked Naqvi for the warm welcome accorded to Pezeshkian and the Iranian delegation. Both ministers expressed satisfaction at the de-escalation in the region. Meanwhile, Naqvi congratulated the Iranian minister on the joint statement issued after the US-Iran talks in Switzerland. “This agreement would not have been possible without your and the Iranian government’s sincere efforts,” Naqvi was quoted as saying in the statement. “Pakistan has always desired peace and stability across the world. Pakistan will continue its efforts for lasting peace in the Middle East,” he said, hoping that the agreement would bring positive results in the region. According to the ministry, the two sides agreed to extend cooperation in multiple sectors, including security, anti-terrorism, cybersecurity and immigration. “I will conduct a detailed visit to Pakistan soon to extend cooperation between the interior ministries of the two countries,” Momeni said. He appreciated the sincere role played by Pakistan in the dialogue between the US and Iran and the cooperation extended by the nation in this regard. Speaking alongside the Iranian president on Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan and Iran will act as “an iron wall” against any forces seeking to undermine regional peace, saying there was “