Pakistan's Deputy PM Ishaq Dar to Visit Iran for ECO Meeting on December 2-3

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, will travel to Iran on December 2-3 to participate in the 28th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Council of Ministers meeting, the Pakistani Foreign Office confirmed on Friday.

This visit takes place amid ongoing tensions between Pakistan and Iran, despite several attempts at cooperation. Notably, both countries signed a $7 billion agreement in 2004 for the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project, but it remains incomplete 20 years later. While Iran has finished construction on its side, Pakistan has faced difficulties moving forward due to international sanctions on Iran.

At the ECO meeting in Mashhad, Dar is expected to emphasize the importance of increasing regional connectivity. According to Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Dar will discuss the potential benefits of developing road and rail networks, liberalizing visa regimes, simplifying border procedures, and promoting sustainable growth across the region. Additionally, Dar will sign a charter to establish the ECO Clean Energy Center and engage in bilateral meetings with ministers and other dignitaries on the sidelines.

The Deputy Prime Minister will also raise concerns about the ongoing instability in the Middle East, stressing how it jeopardizes regional peace and security. This visit follows a recent two-day trip to Islamabad by Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, who met with Pakistani leaders to discuss the situation in Gaza and Lebanon as well as bilateral relations.

Despite numerous agreements between the two countries, tensions have arisen over security issues along their shared border, with both nations accusing each other of failing to tackle militancy. This came to a head earlier this year when both Pakistan and Iran launched cross-border airstrikes, each targeting alleged militant hideouts in the other's territory.

In April, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visited Pakistan for a three-day visit aimed at easing these tensions and enhancing bilateral relations. During that visit, both countries signed a series of memorandums of understanding in various sectors, including trade, science and technology, agriculture, health, culture, and judicial cooperation.