Source: Islamic Republic News Agency

Pakistan President due in Tehran on Saturday

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari is due in Tehran on Saturday to attend a trilateral summit meeting with presidents of Iran and Afghanistan.

A press release issued by Pakistani Embassy in Tehran, a copy of which was made available to IRNA, said that President Zardari will also hold talks with Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on bilateral relations, economic issues, border security and gas pipeline agreement.

The President will also call on the Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.

The three presidents had agreed during the 10th ECO Summit in last March in Tehran to hold periodic summit meetings to harmonize their positions with regard to the challenges faced by the region, such as drug trafficking, terrorism and extremism.

The summit also deliberates on the socio-economic developments and reconstruction in Afghanistan besides forging close cooperation in trade and communication among among other topics among the three countries.

Pakistan-Iran relationship has been characterized by high level interaction between the leadership of the two countries.

The commercial and economic relations between Pakistan and Iran constitute an important aspect of their cooperation.

The IPI gas pipeline project represents the most important milestone on the road to enhancing economic relationship between the two countries.

Currently a high level delegation led by Advisor to the Prime Minister on Petroleum and Natural Resources, Asim Hussain is visiting Iran to finalize IPI gas pipeline agreement.

President Zardari's visit is expected to play an important role in further cementing the abiding relationship between the two brotherly countries.

Karzai to visit Iran for meeting with Iranian, Pak counterparts

Kabul, May 22, IRNA - Afghan President Hamed Karzai will take part in a trilateral meeting with his Iranian and Pakistani counterparts in Tehran next Sunday, according to Afghan Ambassador to Iran Fada Hossein Maleki.

Maleki told IRNA on Friday that the Tehran meeting will be the second of its kind to be held in less than two months.

He said the short interval in the meetings signals importance of the event.

Maleki also said the meeting was delayed for several days due to special conditions going on in Pakistan.

He went on to say that battle between Pakistani army and the rebels in Swat and complicated conditions in Afghanistan added to the significance of the meeting.

Maleki noted that the three heads of state shared the idea that the key to regional issues lies in the region itself.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Maleki said that in Tehran meeting, regional and economic cooperation will be discussed and regarding progress observed in attempts for activation of Chabahar port, a bright horizon is ahead of the region.

He added that in the trilateral Tehran meeting, cultural cooperation among the three states and security and political issues will be discussed.

Maleki then said that on Monday, Iran and Afghanistan will hold a bilateral meeting to examine regional cooperation, Afghan presidential elections, reconstruction and Iranian private sector's further partnership in Afghanistan.

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