Pakistanâ„¢s president-elect Mamnoon Hussain has called for the expansion of ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran in all spheres.
At a Saturday meeting with Iran’s Consul General in Karachi Mehdi Sobhani, the Pakistani president-elect congratulated the Iranian nation and government on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, and the recent inauguration of President Hassan Rouhani.
Hussain pointed to the policies of Pakistanâ„¢s next government on promotion of ties with neighboring states and said he expects to travel to Tehran to discuss enhancement of bilateral relations with senior Iranian officials.
On July 30, Hussain, backed by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N party, was elected as Pakistanâ„¢s 12th president.
Sobhani, for his part, congratulated Hussain on his election to the post and called for expansion of bilateral ties and cooperation in various spheres, particularly in the energy sector.
The Iranian diplomat noted that the implementation of joint projects – including the completion of Pakistani segment of the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline and export of the Iranian gas to the country – and exploiting the existing potentials of the two countries are the best channels for cementing mutual ties.
The 2,000-kilometer IP pipeline, which is projected to cost 1.2 to 1.5 billion dollars, would enable the export of 21.5 million cubic meters of Iranian natural gas per day to Pakistan.
Iran has already constructed more than 900 kilometers of the pipeline on its territory.
The US has threatened Pakistan with sanctions if Islamabad implements the deal with Iran. However, Pakistan has, on several occasions, stressed that it will pursue the gas pipeline project.
ASH/HMV
Republished from: Press TV