Tasnim – Senior lawmakers from Iran and Pakistan discussed ways to promote interaction between the parliaments of the two Muslim nations, with both calling for efforts to convene a new session of the Economic Cooperation Joint Commission.

In a telephone conversation on Saturday, Iran’s new Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan Sadiq Sanjrani weighed plans to expand relations between the two neighbors, particularly the trade and economic ties.

They also stressed the need for holding a session of Iran-Pakistan Economic Cooperation Joint Commission.

Qalibaf said Tehran and Islamabad need to employ their parliamentary capacities to boost the political, economic and security cooperation, especially for ensuring the security of the common border.

Sanjrani expressed hope for the resumption of economic and trade exchanges between the two neighbors which have come to a halt in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

The Pakistani Senate chairman also denounced the sanctions against Iran amid the COVID-19 pandemic, calling on the international community to push for the removal of the anti-Iranian sanctions.

In a telephone conversation with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in late April, Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan condemned the US sanctions and mounting pressures against Iran amid the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, saying he feels bound to support Tehran in the face of Washington’s illegal sanctions.