HAVANA, Sept 16: President Pervez Musharraf has been invited by his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to visit Tehran to discuss progress on the gas pipeline project from Iran to Pakistan and possibly India as the two leaders met here on Friday on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement’s summit.

The two leaders discussed the pricing issue for the gas to be supplied from Iran.

They expressed satisfaction over the appointment of a consultant on the issue.

“The Iranian president has invited President Musharraf on this issue,” Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri told reporters after the meeting.

However, he said President Musharraf suggested that it would be a better idea if he were invited after the consultant had submitted the report on gas pricing.

Mr Kasuri said the Iranian leader indicated he would like to invite Indian Prime Minister Manmonhan Singh at that stage for discussion on the issue.

President Musharraf and the Iranian leader discussed the ongoing talks on Iran’s nuclear programme. Gen Musharraf noted with satisfaction the progress on the issue.

Referring to his recent visit to Brussels, President Musharraf said that during his meetings with the leaders of the European Union they expressed satisfaction that the dialogue with Iran seemed to be making progress. President Musharraf said that Pakistan had always tried to seek a peaceful resolution of the issue.—APP