Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, called on Pakistan to finalize its part of a long-stalled gas pipeline between the two countries, a multi-billion-dollar project that has remained on hold since 2014. The pipeline project has faced opposition from Washington, which believes it could breach sanctions imposed on Tehran due to its nuclear program.
During a televised news conference with his Pakistani counterpart and host, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Amirabdollahian emphasized the importance of completing the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline to serve the national interests of both nations.
“We do believe that the completion of the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline is definitely going to serve the national interests of our two countries,” Amirabdollahian said.
Launched in 2013, the project required Pakistan to complete the construction of the pipeline on its territory by the end of 2014. However, progress stalled, causing frustration for Iran, which claims to have already invested $2 billion on its side of the border.
In addition to discussing the pipeline, the two foreign ministers addressed other bilateral matters, including ensuring security along their shared border. The pipeline project was initially launched by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s father, then-President Asif Ali Zardari.
Amirabdollahian also urged the West to halt weapons supplies to Ukraine, stating that war is not the solution and voicing concern over the continuous arming of Ukraine by the United States and some Western countries.
In response to the issue of fishermen detained during incursions into what Islamabad and Tehran consider their territorial waters, Bhutto Zardari mentioned that the two countries will soon release each other’s fishermen. However, further details were not provided during the news conference.
