ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday said that Pakistan and Iran needed to fully utilise the trade potential to enhance bilateral relations.

President Alvi was speaking to his Iranian counterpart Dr Hassan Rouhani during a meeting held on the sidelines of the 18th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan.

He briefed the Iranian president on the continuous lockdown and human rights violations in India-held Kashmir, a press release issued by the president’s media office said.

Mr Alvi thanked the Iranian leadership for its continued commitment and support for the oppressed Kash­miris.

He said that Pakistan considered Iran as an important country as both shared more than 900km border, adding that a strong people-to-people contact had further strengthened the bond of friendship between the two countries.

President Alvi is leading a Pakistani delegation at the NAM Summit from Oct 25 to 26.

Earlier, he attended the inaugural ceremony of the summit where more than 100 heads of state were present.

The president will be meeting several heads of state on the sidelines during his visit, including the president of Azerbaijan, president of Afghanistan, prime minister of Malaysia, president of Ghana, prime minister of Nepal, president of Sri Lanka and president of Turkmenistan.

NAM was established in 1961 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. It is a forum of 120 developing states that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide.

According to a Foreign Office statement, the summit will feature deliberations on the theme of upholding the Bandung Principles to ensure concerted and adequate response to the challenges of the contemporary world.

During the summit, the president will share Pakistan’s perspective on a range of global, regional and other issues of contemporary salience, particularly spotlighting the rights, concerns and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

Earlier on his arrival at Baku International Airport, Mr Alvi was received by Deputy Prime Minister of Azerb­aijan Ali Ahmedov.

Mr Ahmedov and Presi­dent Alvi also exchanged views on relations between the two brotherly countries. The deputy prime minister thanked President Alvi for visiting Azerbaijan to attend the NAM Summit.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2019