Prime Minister Imran Khan says Pakistan will do its utmost to enable talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia as he arrived in Tehran for talks with Iranian officials.
Pakistani PM in Tehran, says held 'constructive' talks
خبرگزاری Herat Afghan Voice Agency(AVA) , 14 Oct 2019 - 0:48
Prime Minister Imran Khan says Pakistan will do its utmost to enable talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia as he arrived in Tehran for talks with Iranian officials.
"Pakistan does not want conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia...I am happy to facilitate talks between Tehran and Riyadh...I am very hopeful as I had constructive talks with the (Iranian) president," he said at a joint news conference with Hassan Rouhani.
"Any effort based on goodwill is welcomed ... during the meeting, we agreed that the regional issues can be resolved through diplomacy and through dialogue between countries," Rouhani responded.
After meeting Iranian President Rouhani and Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Khan said he will travel to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
Accompanied by his aide Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Khan arrived at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport earlier Sunday.
A Pakistani Foreign Ministry statement said the visit would focus on “peace and security in the region.”
It is Khan's second visit to Tehran this year amid an escalation in regional tensions.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 74th session of UN General Assembly in New York, Khan announced that US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had both asked him to mediate with Iran.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Saturday that the country was prepared to hold talks with Saudi Arabia, with or without mediation.
On Friday, Pakistan's FM Qureshi stressed that the region could not afford a war.
"Saudi Arabia is our strategic partner, whereas Iran is a friend and neighbor,” he said. “We are seeking that misunderstandings between the two Muslim countries will be cleared through talks."
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