Pakistan: Iran ties highly significant

Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain has described his country’s relations with Iran as brotherly and friendly, saying Islamabad attaches great importance to the expansion of bilateral relations with Tehran.

In a meeting with Iranian Ambassador to Islamabad Alireza Haqiqian on Wednesday, Hussain called for further cooperation between the two neighboring countries at regional and international spheres.

He also wished the Iranian nation and government success and prosperity.

Haqiqian, for his part, stressed that promotion of ties with world states, particularly neighboring countries, is among the foreign policy priorities of the incumbent Iranian administration.

He termed Iran-Pakistan relations as significant and voiced the Islamic Republic’s readiness to enhance all-out ties with its eastern neighbor and participate in infrastructure projects in Pakistan such as construction of power plants, highways and dams as well as the repair of the Asian country’s railway network.

On August 10, Hussain called for the expansion of ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran in all spheres.

He pointed to the policies of Pakistan’s new government on promotion of ties with neighboring states, and said he expects to travel to Tehran to discuss development of bilateral relations with senior Iranian officials.

The 73-year-old Hussain was elected on July 30 by members of the four provincial assemblies and the federal parliament. Hussain, a candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) which swept the May 11 general elections, received a clear majority of votes against Wajihuddin Ahmed, the presidential nominee of the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI).

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had boycotted the election.