The visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz met the Grand Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei on Wednesday, February 23.
Speaking at the meeting, the Leader referred to the strong religious, cultural and historical ties between the Iranian and Pakistani nations and stressed that cordial relations between the two nations have prepared the ground for very extensive cooperation between Iran and Pakistan in different areas.
Ayatollah Khamenei called for more measures to expand cooperation between the two countries and stated that countries in the region will benefit from mutual and multilateral cooperation. He pointed out that the alien powers are opposed to cooperation among regional countries, but he added that the countries in the region should deepen their relations and cooperation despite this opposition.
Elsewhere in his statements, the Leader described as a right move the measures taken by the Pakistani government to combat sectarian violence. He noted that the Shia and Sunni Muslims have lived together peacefully for centuries on the Indian Subcontinent and in Iran. "Thus, in order to tackle the problem at its roots, efforts should also be made to identity those who foment such violence and who benefit from it."
Touching on the issue of terrorism, Ayatollah Khamenei stressed that terrorism is an evil phenomenon, and he described the combat against terrorism as a wise and prudent struggle which is in line with Islamic precepts. "However, the U.S. claim to combat terrorism is not acceptable, since by supporting the acts of terrorism committed by the Zionists and certain other terrorist groups, the United States is applying a double standard in this regard, and it is treating the issue in a discriminatory manner."
As regards Iran's nuclear issue, the Leader of the Islamic Republic expressed hope that the issue would be resolved through negotiations. However, he stressed that taking part in negotiations does not mean that one side would be entitled to impose its views on the other side. "If the Western countries insist that no country except them should possess nuclear technology, this would be an illogical remark, and it would be utterly rejected by the Islamic Republic."
Ayatollah Khamenei noted that possessing nuclear technology is very important to the Islamic Republic from economic, scientific and technological as well as environmental aspects and also in order for Iran to achieve self-reliance in running its nuclear power stations.
He further stated, "Concerning their opposition to the possession of nuclear technology by other countries, the Westerners say they cannot ensure that other countries would not use the technology to produce nuclear weapons. In response, we should say that we cannot trust them either, since the experience of the past century has proved that they are the ones that are most likely to deploy weapons of mass destruction, as they used depleted uranium bombs in Iraq."
Further in his statements, the Leader welcomed the gas pipeline project, which is expected to carry Iran's gas to India via Pakistan, calling it the peace pipeline. He expressed hope that the project would be made operational in the near future.
The Pakistani prime minister, for his part, voiced pleasure over his meeting with the Leader of the Islamic Republic. Referring to his talks with the Iranian officials, he said that the negotiations focused on several areas such as those related to the gas pipeline, transportation, commerce, banking and investment. He noted that positive results were obtained from the discussions.
Shaukat Aziz further expressed his gratitude for the Iranian government and nation's support and hinted at his country's efforts to combat terrorism and religious violence. He said that there are forces in the region that are opposed to regional peace and stability and called for Iran-Pakistan cooperation in countering such challenges.
The Pakistani prime minister also hoped that Iran's nuclear issue would be resolved through negotiations.