Iran’s high diplomat urges Pakistan to finish its a part of a long-delayed Iran-Pakistan fuel pipeline

ISLAMABAD — Iran‘s international minister on Thursday urged Pakistan to finish its a part of a much-delayed fuel pipeline between the 2 international locations, a multi-billion undertaking that has been on maintain since 2014. Washington has opposed the pipeline, saying it might violate sanctions imposed on Tehran over its nuclear program.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, who’s on a three-day go to to Islamabad, spoke throughout a televised information convention along with his Pakistani counterpart and host, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

“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 mentioned.

The undertaking, launched in 2013, required Pakistan to complete the development of the pipeline on its territory by the top of 2014. But the work stalled, upsetting Tehran, which has mentioned it already invested $2 billion within the pipeline on its facet of the border.

The two international ministers additionally mentioned a variety of different bilateral points, together with making certain safety alongside their international locations’ shared border. The pipeline undertaking was launched by Bhutto Zardari’s father, then-President Asif Ali Zardari.

Amirabdollahian additionally referred to as for halting weapons provides to Ukraine by the West. “We have said this and we believe war is not the way, it is not the solution,” he mentioned. “We believe that it is a source of great concern that the United States and some Western countries keep arming Ukraine.”

Pakistan has referred to as for resolving the problem of the Ukraine difficulty by means of dialogue.

Bhutto-Zardari mentioned the 2 international locations will quickly launch one another’s fishermen, detained throughout incursions into what Islamabad and Tehran mentioned had been their territorial waters. He didn’t present particulars.

Pakistan has shut ties with Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia however has tried to take care of relationship with the predominantly Shiite Iran. Riyadh and Tehran, long-time rivals, restored ties earlier this yr in a Chinese-brokered settlement.