Zardari to depart on two-day Iran visit on Wednesday

President Asif Ali Zardari would undertake a two-day official visit to Iran from Wednesday, said the president’s spokesman. Senator Farhatullah Babar said that during the visit, the president will hold talks with the Iranian leadership on a host of bilateral issues and the regional situation. Important progress is expected to be made on the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project during President Zardari’s visit to Tehran. Sources told DawnNews that Iran is expected to lend Pakistan 500 million dollars for expediting the gas pipeline project. Along with supplying gas to Pakistan, Iran would also establish an oil refinery in Balochistan’s port city of Gwadar. Babar said the visit was a part of the ongoing contacts at the leadership level to further strengthen the bilateral relations and to consult each other on regional and international issues of concern to the two countries. He said the president has been urging for further strengthening of the bilateral relations and for early completion of mega projects between the two countries and expressed the hope that the visit would provide further impetus to the efforts aimed at early completion of the projects. The spokesman said the visit is a manifestation of the great importance Pakistan attaches to its relations with Iran.