Joint Webinar with the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (ISSI)

The joint virtual meeting between the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) and the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (ISSI), about the regional and international developments, was held on Tuesday, October 12, 2021.

 The joint virtual meeting between the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) and the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (ISSI), about the regional and international developments, was held on Tuesday, October 12, 2021.

The meeting was attended by Mr.Mohammadhassan SheikhiolIslami, President of IPIS; Mr.Majid Ghafelehbashi, Research Deputy for IPIS;Mohsen Rouhisefat, Former Research Deputy for IPIS; Hossein Ebrahim Khani, and Saeed Ghaderi, Senior Experts at IPIS; and on the other side: Mr. Aizaz Ahmad Chaudry, General Director of ISSI; Talat Shabbir, President of China-Pakistan  Studies Center; Ms.Amina Khan, President of ISSI’s department for Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa; Ms.Riffat Masood, Former Pakistani Ambassador to Iran

The meeting was formed in the form of three panels, “Bilateral Relations”, “Afghanistan Situation”, and “Regional Connection”, and the participants discussed and exchanged opinions.

Here are the major topics touched upon at the meeting:

Iran was one of the first countries that recognized Pakistan following its independence. The two countries share many cultural, religious, ethnic, historical, geographical proximity, close political and economic, and a joint destiny and lingual commonalities. The regional developments make a new regional security architecture and close cooperation between Iran and Pakistan an urgency.

Strong economic cooperation between Iran and Pakistan can strengthen the bilateral relations more. The corona pandemic and joint work on the vaccination, expansion of tourism on all dimensions (including health tourism), strengthening the mechanism of security concerning the joint border of the two countries, expansion of border markets, travel and popular exchanges; exchange of students and specialists are among the topics of cooperation between Iran and Pakistan.

The situation of Afghanistan is as important for Iran and Pakistan and its developments influence both Iran and Pakistan. Therefore, it is necessary that they, along with other countries of the region, cooperate in relation to creation of peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Regional connection by regard to benefiting from mutual independence and economic prosperity is of importance. Regional connections are among the key elements of the Economic Development Plan of the 2025 Vision and foreign policy of Pakistan. Pakistan enjoys a strategic status in connecting Central Asia to the big economies and the Indian Ocean.