Larijani calls for border markets with Pakistan

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani made the remarks in a meeting with Speaker of the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan, Rahila Durrani, on Wednesday in Tehran, expressing Iran’s keen interest in developing bilateral cooperation with the Pakistani province.

The Provincial Assembly of Balochistan is one of the four provincial assemblies of Pakistan with 51 members representing constituencies from each district, as well as 11 seats reserved for women and 3 for non-Muslims.

The Pakistani speaker, for her part, stressed the need for expansion of ties between the two countries, saying "Pakistani businesses are very keen on having a more active presence in Iran; to this end, launching Quetta-Zahedan and Quetta-Mashhad airlines would prove helpful in facilitating travel for both pilgrims and businessmen.”

Durrani then noted the high death toll in Pakistan due to terrorist attacks, saying "security is a critical issue in our region, and Pakistan’s army is making every effort to provide border security. I hope the two neighboring countries will be able to have closer cooperation on security issues.”

She went on to deem Iran a powerful and influential country in the Middle East, hailing the country’s efforts in standing against enemies for years and defending the country’s national interests.

She further extended an invitation to Larijani and an Iranian delegation for a visit to Balochistan.