Pakistan Pledges Closer Ties with Bangladesh and Iran at United Nations

Pakistan plans to build stronger ties with Bangladesh and Iran after bilateral talks during the United Nations General Assembly. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Bangladeshi leader Tarique Rahman and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the global summit in New York City.

Bangladesh Talks

Sharif and Rahman discussed ways to expand cooperation in trade, investment, connectivity, education, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. Both leaders agreed to keep coordination close on regional and global topics. Sharif also sent his best wishes to Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rehman for taking over as president of the 81st UN General Assembly session. These diplomatic moves happen as Dhaka tries to improve relations with Pakistan and China while ties with India stay tense.

Iran Discussions

In his meeting with Pezeshkian, Sharif highlighted old ties and a shared goal to boost cooperation across mutual interests. They talked about the regional situation, with Sharif pointing out Islamabad's worry over ongoing conflict and the need for restraint and diplomacy. Pakistan remains dedicated to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding to support peace and stability. These talks follow a recent visit to Tehran by Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to help ease tensions in the standoff between Iran and the United States. Pakistan acts as a mediator for stalled talks between Washington and Tehran after an interim peace deal signed in June faced setbacks due to military escalation.