Envoy calls for increasing all-out cooperation with Pakistan

Iranian Ambassador to Islamabad Alireza Haqiqian underscored Tehran's enthusiasm for the further enhancement of cooperation with Pakistan in all fields. Haqiqian made the remarks on Wednesday in a meeting with Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pervaiz Khattak. In his meeting with the Chief Minister, the Iranian envoy offered cooperation in energy, natural resources, education, health insurance, agriculture and health sectors, an official statement said. The Chief Minister accepted the invitation, and said he will soon visit Iran to witness Iran’s development. He said his province will explore ways to enhance cooperation with Iran in various sectors. The ambassador also extended invitations to Khattak on behalf of the governors of Shiraz and Isfahan provinces. Iran and Pakistan exchange delegations on a regular basis and the two neighboring countries are keen to expedite expansion of their bilateral trade ties. In March, Iran and Pakistan officially inaugurated the construction phase of a several-billion-dollar gas pipeline project which is due to take Iran's rich gas reserves to the energy-hungry Muslim country. The project kicked off in a ceremony attended by former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and former Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari at the two countries' shared border region in Iran's Southeastern city of Chabahar.