Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian to visit Islamabad on Tuesday

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has confirmed that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will arrive in Islamabad on Tuesday for an official visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

According to the Foreign Office, the Iranian president will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including cabinet ministers and senior officials. This will be his second visit to Pakistan in his capacity as president.

During the visit, Pezeshkian is scheduled to meet President Asif Ali Zardari and hold formal talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Senior parliamentary leaders, including the chairman of the Senate, the speaker of the National Assembly and the deputy prime minister and foreign minister, will also call on him.

The Foreign Office said both sides will review the entire range of bilateral relations and explore new opportunities for cooperation in trade, energy, border security, people-to-people contacts and regional connectivity.

Officials said discussions will also cover follow-up on recent diplomatic understandings, including the Islamabad memorandum of understanding, as well as regional and international developments of mutual interest.

Iranian media reports indicated that one of the key objectives of the visit is to convey Tehran’s appreciation for Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts in facilitating engagement between Iran and the United States.

The Iranian state news agency IRNA said the talks will also focus on maintaining high-level engagement between the two countries and reviewing progress on previously agreed economic initiatives.

Earlier, Iranian diplomatic sources in Islamabad confirmed that President Pezeshkian is expected to arrive in the Pakistani capital during the daytime on Tuesday.