Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday said Tehran is ready to expand and deepen cooperation with Pakistan in various fields.

He made the remarks during a meeting with visiting Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, highlighting the “excellent relations and deep bonds” between the two countries, according to a statement on the Iranian president’s official website.

Pezeshkian said Iran and Pakistan share strong historical, cultural and people-to-people ties. He also welcomed Pakistani officials’ efforts to strengthen solidarity and relations with Iran.

The Iranian president said Tehran is willing to further expand ties with Pakistan in areas of mutual interest and create opportunities for joint cooperation.

He added that stronger bilateral ties and closer cooperation would help protect the interests of both countries and contribute to regional peace, stability and security.

Naqvi said his visit to Tehran was aimed at following up on agreements reached during a recent visit to Pakistan by Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni.

Describing Pakistan-Iran ties as “strong, age-old and unbreakable,” Naqvi said Islamabad is committed to further expanding relations with Tehran.

The Pakistani minister arrived in Tehran earlier Tuesday and was received by his Iranian counterpart. Later, he met Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and discussed diplomatic and bilateral issues, Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported.

In recent months, Pakistan has played a mediating role between Iran and the United States, helping the two sides exchange messages and pursue peace efforts.

With Islamabad’s mediation, Tehran and Washington signed a memorandum of understanding in June aimed at ending their conflict.