ISLAMABAD (PEN) : Pakistan and Iran are set to engage in direct bilateral discussions on *foreign policy and defence cooperation* later this week, on the sidelines of the *Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Summit* in *Shusha, Azerbaijan*, official sources confirmed.
Key Diplomatic Engagements Scheduled
*Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar* will meet his *Iranian counterpart, while **Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif* is scheduled to hold formal talks with *Iranian President Masoud Peshkeshian* on *Friday*. These meetings will be part of a broader diplomatic agenda during Pakistan’s participation in the ECO summit.
The Pakistani delegation is expected to arrive in Azerbaijan on *Thursday* for the high-level summit in Shusha — a historic region in *Karabakh* reclaimed by *Azerbaijan* from *Armenia* following a recent conflict.
Broader Regional Outreach
Foreign Minister Dar is also expected to meet with key figures from across the ECO region, including *Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, as well as the foreign ministers of **Kazakhstan, **Uzbekistan, and **Azerbaijan. Additionally, bilateral meetings with **President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan* of *Turkiye* and *President Ilham Aliyev* of *Azerbaijan* are on the agenda.
These engagements form part of Pakistan’s ongoing strategy to reinforce *economic, **strategic, and **cultural ties* with fellow ECO member states, which include 10 countries across Central and South Asia.
Defence Dialogue and Regional Security
In a related development, *Iran’s army chief Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi* recently conveyed gratitude to *Pakistan* for its support during *Iran’s conflict with Israel. The appreciation was expressed in a phone call with **Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal General Syed Asim Munir, during which both leaders also reviewed **regional security* and *defence collaboration*.
Mousavi, citing Iranian state media, also criticized the *United States* and several Western countries for backing Israel and launching a “widespread propaganda campaign” against Iran during the conflict.
