Iran’s top diplomat urges Pakistan to complete its part of a long-delayed Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Iran’s foreign minister on Thursday urged Pakistan to complete its part of a long-delayed gas pipeline between the two countries, a multibillion-dollar project that has been on hold since 2014. Washington has opposed the pipeline, saying it could violate sanctions imposed on Tehran for its nuclear program.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, who is on a three-day visit to Islamabad, spoke during a televised press conference with his Pakistani counterpart and presenter, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

“We believe that the completion of the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline will definitely serve the national interests of our two countries,” Amirabdollahian said.

The project, launched in 2013, required Pakistan to finish construction of the pipeline on its soil by the end of 2014. But work stalled, upsetting Tehran, which has said it has already invested $2 billion in the pipeline in its side of the border. .

The two foreign ministers also discussed a variety of other bilateral issues, including ensuring security along their countries’ shared border. The pipeline project was launched by Bhutto Zardari’s father, then-President Asif Ali Zardari.

Amirabdollahian also called for stopping the Western supply of weapons to Ukraine. “We have said this and we believe that war is not the way, it is not the solution,” he said. “We believe that it is a matter of great concern that the United States and some Western countries continue to arm Ukraine.”

Pakistan has called for the Ukraine issue to be resolved through dialogue.

Bhutto-Zardari said the two countries would soon release each other’s fishermen detained during raids into what Islamabad and Tehran said were their territorial waters. He did not provide details.

Pakistan has close ties to Sunni power Saudi Arabia but has tried to maintain a good relationship with the predominantly Shiite Iran. Riyadh and Tehran, longtime rivals, restored ties earlier this year in a Chinese-brokered deal.