Iran and Pakistan have called for greater bilateral cooperation to promote regional peace, as the heads of state of the two neighboring countries met on the sidelines of a global climate conference in Turkey.

The Iranian presidency said in a brief statement on Wednesday that President Masoud Pezeshkian and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had discussed initiatives to strengthen economic and political ties during their meeting in Antalya.

The statement said Pezeshkian and Sharif had stressed the need to expand economic and trade relations between Iran and Pakistan as part of efforts to safeguard their mutual interests, including security.

The Pakistani prime minister’s office also said in a statement after the meeting that the two leaders had held talks in a warm and cordial atmosphere while highlighting the deep-rooted and historic ties between Iran and Pakistan.

The statement said Pezeshkian and Sharif had also discussed ongoing regional developments, including the standoff between Iran and the United States, in which Pakistan has acted as a mediator.

It said Sharif had expressed deep concern over the continued military confrontation between Iran and the US, stressing the need for restraint and dialogue to ease tensions.

He said Pakistan was ready to play an honest and constructive role in efforts to implement the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, signed between Iran and the US in June with the aim of permanently ending the US-Israeli aggression against Iran, the statement said.

It said Pezeshkian had appreciated Pakistan’s continued diplomatic support for Iran and its efforts to promote regional peace and security.

He said Iran was seriously interested in expanding its relations with Pakistan across a wide range of fields, according to the statement.