Copy in clipboard...
Iran president to visit Pakistan, Sri Lanka
Raisi is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan’s capital on Monday to meet his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said. Raisi will be accompanied by “a high-level delegation comprising the foreign minister... as well as a large business delegation,” the foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
During his visit Raisi will also meet Pakistan’s prime minister, the chairman of the Senate and speaker of the National Assembly.
“They will also discuss regional and global developments and bilateral cooperation to combat the common threat of terrorism,” the statement said.
According to the statement, Raisi will also visit major cities including Lahore and Karachi and focus on bilateral and trade ties. The countries will further strengthen ties and enhance cooperation in “trade, connectivity, energy, agriculture, and people-to-people contacts”, it added. Pakistan is counting on a joint gas project with Iran to solve a long-running power crisis that has sapped its economic growth.
A $7.5-billion Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline intended to feed Pakistani power plants was inaugurated with great fanfare in March 2013.
Iranian president will also depart for Sri Lanka to meet the country’s officials during a one-day visit.
He is also scheduled to inaugurate Tehran-assisted $529 million worth Uma Oya multipurpose development project with 120MW hydro power generation capacity, official sources said.
It will be the first visit to Sri Lanka by an Iranian president after then President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit in April 2008.