News - Middle East: Pakistan’s foreign minister says his Iranian counterpart has made four trips to Islamabad in less than three years, and that proves Iran and Pakistan have maintained great relations.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi made the remarks in a Monday address to his country’s Parliament, where he elaborated on the level of Pakistan’s relations with its neighbors, including Iran.

“Pakistan enjoys very good relations with all its neighbors, especially the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Qureshi said.

“Mohammad Javad Zarif, the foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, paid four official visits to Islamabad [since less than three years ago when the new Pakistani government took office],” the Pakistani top diplomat said.

“That indicates our good ties with this neighboring country,” he added.

Zarif made his latest trip to Islamabad in November 2020, during which he expressed Tehran’s preparedness for expansion of all-out relations with its eastern neighbor.

In that visit, he held separate meetings with the country’s prime minister, army chief, and Foreign Minister Qureshi.

The Iranian foreign minister has made 11 visits to Pakistan since assuming office in 2013.

Iran and Pakistan enjoy cultural, religious and political relations in addition to close cooperation in security and economic sectors.

In December 2020, the two states opened a new border crossing point to bolster their bilateral economic and trade ties.

The Rimadan-Gabd border gateway was officially opened on December 19, becoming the second border crossing between Iran and Pakistan.