TEHRAN, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Wednesday that his country pays great attention to neighboring Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He made the remarks in a phone call with his Pakistani counterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani, in which the two sides discussed Iran's "anti-terrorist" operations on Tuesday against the Jaish al-Zulm group in Pakistan, according to a statement published on the Iranian Foreign Ministry's website.
Amir-Abdollahian said, "Iran respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the friendly, brotherly and neighboring country of Pakistan. Iran pays great attention to Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity."
He stressed that Pakistan's security is important to Iran, adding that the Jaish al-Zulm group has posed a "terrorist" threat to the security of both countries.
The Iranian foreign minister noted that Iran's security had repeatedly been threatened by the "terrorist" group from Pakistan's soil, saying the group had, on several occasions, claimed responsibility for the "terrorist" moves made within the Iranian territory.
Jilani, for his part, pointed to the two countries' common aspirations and history of defending one another and fighting terrorism, emphasizing that Iran's security is as important as that of Pakistan.
The Pakistani foreign minister said whenever there had been a threat against Iran inside Pakistan, the Pakistani government took action against it.
Pakistan accused on Wednesday Iran of violating Pakistan's airspace, killing two Pakistani children, after Iran's media reported that Iran struck Tuesday "terrorist bases" in Pakistan's Balochistan province.
Pakistan has condemned "Iran's violation of its airspace" and recalled its ambassador from Iran. ■
