ISLAMABAD, Dec 23: Pakistan hopes to sign agreements with Iran for the supply of 1,000 megawatts of electricity when the Iranian energy minister visits Islamabad next week, officials told Dawn on Tuesday.

The two countries have already signed a memorandum of understanding in this regard.

Parviz Fattah, the minister, is due in Islamabad on Dec 29 for a three-day visit.

The Minister for Water and Power, Raja Pervez Ashraf, held a meeting with Iranian Ambassador Masha’allah Shakeri on Tuesday to discuss the visit of his Iranian counterpart and possible agreements and pledges about cooperation in the water and power sector.

The Iranian energy minister is scheduled to meet, besides Pervez Ashraf, representatives of the Board of Investment, Private Power Infrastructure Board, Wapda, Pepco and Nespak to discuss possibilities of cooperation in power and other sectors, particularly between investors of the two countries.

Mr Ashraf will also discuss investment proposals by the Iranian side power projects, ongoing process of construction of a transmission line between the two countries and the import of 1000MW by Pakistan from Iran.

The ambassador said Iranian companies were interested in upgradation projects of transmission lines, investment in hydel, thermal and alternative energy projects and manufacture of power transformers and switchgears equipments.

Transfer of technology was on the agenda, too, Masha’allah Shakeri added.