TEHRAN, Dec 19: Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri arrived in Tehran on a two-day visit on Tuesday. During his stay in Tehran, Mr Kasuri will hold talks with his Iranian counterpart Manocher Mottaki on ways to further strengthen cooperation between Pakistan and Iran in various fields.

The two sides will discuss the situation in Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon, the Middle East peace process and Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project.—PPI

Qudssia Akhlaque adds from Islamabad: The foreign minister left for Tehran on Tuesday afternoon.

During the visit, he would hold consultations with the top Iranian leadership on key matters, including the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project.

Mr Kasuri is accompanied by senior foreign ministry officials, including additional secretary (Afghanistan and ECO) Khalid Khattak, director-general Foreign Minister’s office Khalid Mahmud and director (Iran and Turkey) Diyar Khan.

The foreign minister’s official engagements in Tehran are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.

He will hold formal delegation-level talks with his Iranian counterpart Manoucher Mottaki and call on the Iranian president.

He is also scheduled to meet Ali Larinjani, Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator and national security advisor; Kemal Kharrazai, head of the Foreign Policy Advisory Council; and Ambassador Boroukerdi, head of Strategic Research Centre.

An interaction with the parliamentary friendship group is also on the cards.

High on the agenda will be the gas pricing issue of the $7 billion pipeline project for further strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries, according to diplomatic sources.

The visit takes place ahead of a crucial trilateral meeting of energy secretaries in Tehran next month to finalise the 2,600km-long gas pipeline project that would supply natural gas from Iran to Pakistan and then onwards to India.

Pakistan is keen on the early conclusion of the IPI project and President General Pervez Musharraf also telephoned Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on December 2, to resolve the gas tariff issue.

Another key talking point would be Tehran’s nuclear programme. Behind-the-scenes Pakistan has been playing an active role for an amicable resolution of Iran’s nuclear row with the IAEA, the EU-3 and the US.

While Pakistan has consistently supported Iran’s right to peaceful use of nuclear technology, it has also underscored that as a signatory to the NPT, Tehran must fulfil its obligations.