Omar1984
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ISLAMABAD, Sep 10 (APP): Pakistan has started a new phase of social and economic relations with Iran, Pakistan’s ambassador to Tehran M.B. Abbasi said during an exclusive interview with the Mehr News Agency.He said during the military rule of General Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan-Iran ties suffered, so now Pakistan is rebuilding relations with Iran.
“We call it a new era of social and economic relation with Iran. During the nine years of military rule in our country Pakistan-Iran ties suffered. However, now we have a democratically elected government headed by President Asif Ali Zardari and relations are improving again. This is the best time to rebuild our relations”.
The ambassador said so many high-ranking dignitaries such as finance and commerce ministers are visiting Iran and working on several important projects. Among these projects the most important is Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project.
He went on to say that Pakistan would welcome it if Iran agreed to mediate between India and Pakistan in the longstanding Kashmir issue, which is hampering progress in the region.
Answering a question of progress on gas pipeline project, he said the Iranian delegation headed by the deputy minister of energy visited Pakistan on September 4. The delegation finalized some more things related to the gas pipeline project, so the project is in the last stage of completion of the agreement.
M.B Abbasi said the annual trade volume between Pakistan and Iran has increased from 400 million dollars to over one billion dollars and this will improve further since Pakistan has also started importing crude oil from Iran.
About future important visits of dignitaries between the two countries, he said probably in next month or in November President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will visit Pakistan. And in October foreign minister of Pakistan is expected to visit Iran again.
“These visits are for the trilateral meetings of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. But President Ahmadinejad will extend his stay in Pakistan and have meetings with Pakistani officials to discuss important issues”.
