BEIJING, April 22 (APP): Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s visit to Iran is of special importance during which both sides discussed regional security and economic cooperation.
“I have noticed two important points: one is that both sides discussed regional security issues, and the other is that both sides discussed economic cooperation under the new situation,” Cheng Xizhong, Visiting Professor at Southwest University of Political Science and Law and former Defense Attache in South Asian countries said on Thursday.
He said, now, with the withdrawal of all US and NATO troops from Afghanistan, Afghan peace process is entering a crucial stage, which requires the joint efforts of the international community, especially regional countries.
Both Pakistan and Iran are close neighbors of Afghanistan and need to work together to play an important role. The smooth progress of the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan is conducive to the connectivity construction of the whole region, including South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East, thus creating favorable conditions for regional economic prosperity, he added.
Highlighting his second point, he said, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Iran, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Iran in late March. China and Iran signed a 25-year agreement to enhance comprehensive cooperation, and China would invest $400 billion in Iran’s infrastructure.
Iran is a key country on the Belt and Road Initiative and one of the major oil exporters to China and China is the core country of Iran’s ‘Look East’ strategy. There are many common interests between the two countries. Considering the current international environment, the international community attaches great importance to the development of the China-Iran relations, he said.
Cheng said, under this background, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi visited Iran and said that Iran is not only Pakistan’s neighbor, but also a “tested friend” and he expressed strong desire to strengthen ties with Iran in all areas.
He said it is reported that the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Iran explored the potential of comprehensive economic cooperation between the Pakistan and Iran on the basis of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC0.
The CPEC is an open project and its radiation effect is increasingly obvious. With the continuous progress of the construction of this corridor, more and more Central Asian and Middle Eastern countries have shown deep interest, he said.
The Chinese scholar said, now, the regional geo-strategy is undergoing positive changes, and the interference of global and regional powers is being resisted by more and more countries. In particular, Russia attaches more importance to its relations with Pakistan, and Germany is increasing its investment in the CPEC.
“I believe that the joint efforts of China, Pakistan and Iran will lead more countries in the region to participate in the construction of connectivity.
Together with the involvement of big powers such as Germany and Russia, all stakeholders will strongly promote regional cooperation in a wider range, so a bright future of regional prosperity, security and stability is emerging,” he added.
