President Rouhani to visit Pakistan for talks

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is due in Islamabad on March 25 to hold talks with Pakistani officials on bilateral ties as well as regional developments.

Rouhani’s visit to Islamabad, which is his first as the Iranian president, comes at the official invitation of Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain, and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Parviz Esmaili, the Iranian president’s deputy chief of staff for communications and information, said Wednesday.

During his two-day stay in Pakistan, the Iranian president will exchange views with Pakistani officials on promotion of economic ties after the lifting of international sanctions against Tehran as part of the nuclear agreement it reached with the six world powers last July.

Stressing that Pakistan has the largest Muslim population among Iran’s neighbors, Esmaili said the Iranian chief executive will also confer with the Pakistani side on regional and international developments as well as the issue of unity among Muslims ahead of the summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which is scheduled to be held in Turkey in April.

Iran and Pakistan will also sign several memoranda of understanding on promotion of cultural relations as well as medical cooperation, according to the Iranian official.

The chambers of commerce in the two countries will also explore ways to boost economic ties between private sectors in both countries.

A number of ministers as well as cabinet members will accompany President Rouhani in his visit to Pakistan.

Rouhani’s trip to Islamabad comes after earlier visits to Tehran by the Pakistani premier in January this year and May 2014 to discuss ways to promote relations between the two neighbors.