A high-ranking delegation including Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Minister for Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs, Statistics and Privatisation Ishaq Dar, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqqan Abbasi, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi and Chief Minister Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik will accompany the Prime Minister.
The Prime Ministers' engagements in Tehran include: bilateral meeting with President Rouhani and call on the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenai, she said, adding the leadership level discussions would afford the two sides an opportunity to review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations as well as regional and international developments of mutual interest. "Consistent with the vision of the two leaderships, special focus would be attached to strengthening economic ties between Pakistan and Iran. In this context, the existing potential of bilateral trade would be reinforced through initiatives aimed at enhancing physical connectivity between the sides," said the spokesperson in a statement issued here on Saturday. She said a number of MoUs/agreements on co-operation in various fields would also be signed during the visit of the Prime Minister with a view to institutionalising mutually beneficial co-operation.
"A peaceful neighbourhood remains a key priority of the government. Iran is an important pivot in this policy," she said, adding the visit of the PM to Iran would not only provide a political affirmation to our bilateral relations, but would also set a forward trajectory for their future course. During weekly press briefing on Thursday, the spokesperson said the two sides would also hold discussion on the multi-billion dollar Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project and dispelled the impression that the project had been scrapped. Sources said during his stay, the Prime Minister would also hold discussion on regional issues, situation in the Middle East particularly the Syrian crisis and Afghan conflict.