TEHRAN: President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Tehran on Saturday to hold talks with the Iranian leadership for further strengthening bilateral ties and cooperation in other fields.
The President, who was accompanied by Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain, was received at Mehrabad Airport by Iranian Petroleum Minister Mohammad Aliabadi.
Pakistan's Ambassador in Iran and senior embassy officials were also present on the occasion.
Zardari will hold talks with his counterpart President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
Iranian officials have given few details of the talks' agenda. Iran's ambassador to Pakistan Mashala Shokri said only that they would address "bilateral relations and regional issues."
But the visit comes less than a month after Zardari was in Tehran for a counter-terrorism summit on the sidelines of which Iran and Pakistan agreed to cooperate with Afghanistan in the fight against militants.
Zardari's visit also comes after Washington announced it was deferring $800 million in military aid to Islamabad while it sought better defence cooperation.
The United States suspended the military assistance, about one third of its $2.7 billion annual defence package, some two months after a US operation killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad.
After the raid, the United States pledged to keep relations steady with Pakistan. But US frustration has mounted, including over Islamabad's decision to oust up to 200 US personnel who planned to train Pakistani forces.
Iranian officials have been vocal in their criticism of the prolonged US troop deployments in neighbouring Afghanistan and Iraq, both of which are now set to be drawn down.
They have also repeatedly accused the US and Pakistani intelligence services of helping insurgents active in Iran's southeastern province of Sistan-Balochistan, which borders Pakistan's own restive Balochistan province.
COMMENTS (29)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
Iran is better option than KSA. Thumb up if agree.
@Frankk: You said: How much do you want to bet that item no. 1 on the agenda is going to be ‘How to deal with the Great Satan”?
I did not see your name mentioned anywhere in the news item.
US should leave Afghanistan Pakistan respectfully
@Maher: May i respectfully ask how much you paid in your taxes last year?
@qasim: Not quite, more like looking for cheap gas and oil ! Maybe he is considering Nuclear Cooperation and Assistance !! Now that would really be brave and bold statement to the rest of the World about Pakistan being Independant and Responsible Nation too!!!
@humayun habib: More like another Flawed Policy !! Accepting Aid from US, and Kissing Iranians is not a foreign policy of any manner. Its not going go unnoticed in Washington or Riyadh !! Get ready for another round of BS and Ghairat from these lot !!!
@Rehan: So what makes you think that current President is any different? Do you actually believe one can amass, that wealth from being a Landlord in Pakistan? Its not possible even if he was saffron farming !!!!!
Vienna,16-07-2011 Yes; Maher, for your money lost by hold up in the U.S. Iran has cash for something in exchange. It had paid for Uranium enrichment technology. May be there is also the possibility to bridging relations with sand land kingdom of Saudi Arabia as Muslim Biradars of Iran.That apart Afghanistan is of interest for both Pakistan and Iran.There is no way between soldiers to soldiers contact since General Kayani visit will alarm Americans.President Asif Ali Zardari can be counted as contact man if gain is involved to the Zardari tribal chief. Saudi Arabia indeed the subject of the mutual interest among Muslim biradars.That explains emergency force landing of huge drum beater team. -Kulamarva Balakrishna
The President must be going there with the total consensus of the GHQ, therefore Najam sethi may be right about Pakistan playing middle man between the gulf powers or it may be just a deffered payment deal for petroleum import
I hope Mr Zardari succeeds in convincing Iran to join the proposed Common Market with China, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey, wherein trade between these countries will be based on a common currency,which obviously will not be American dollar.
@Maher: He is collecting his Air Miles, i suppose !!!
may be he could learn a thing or two from his iranian counterpart on (DEFENDING ONE,S COUNTRY,S SOVERIENITY)
I hope some he learns some good things from Ahmedinejad.
@Maher That's always the protocol. Obama's official visits are on US taxpayer money, so are UK's, so are every country's. You think Musharraf actually paid out of his pocket to go to the US? Musharraf didn't even pay out of his pocket for that mansion he has in Boston. Regards, Rehan
@FARHAN: He can't even bring his own people together let alone dabble in other nation's affairs !!! Tell him to sort out Sindh alone as he is from there!! Let's forget Balouchs, Punjabis, Pathans etc!!!!!
@shany: Well at least they dont give hundreds of millions of dollars to the outlaws and brigand mullas in most of the madrassa. This shows there responsibility. In any case we Pakistanis aren't angels either. We shelter these blackguard militants and make bigger fools of ourselves by saying we did not know for five long and ardous years. The global village is a fool and we are innocent all the TIME??? Salams to you my brother.
@sunny khan: Agreed! But Saudis have done more harm to Pakistan than Iran and comparable to the US. They always kowtow to the US wishes. Once the gas pipeline is in place a lot of things will become clearer. Please accept my Salams.
PPP is the only party which can get us rid of Taliban.let's hope and pray that they win the next elections with 2/3 majority so that no political party can blackmail them.He is the best politician at the moment this country has.Calm,cool and shrewed, In spite of the fact that PPP did not have even simple majority,he has been able keep the Party in power for more than 3 years.
maher@ he is ur president after all you get what u deserve.
is this real??
If things continue to spiral downhill it's not difficult to imagine that Pakistan and Iran are going to be best buddies -- two pariah countries under UN sanction blaming all of their problems on others.
Try Chelo Kabab there, its just mind-blowing.
this guy again going on our money ?
@Frankk: I doubt.. since that would mean discussing how to deal with Pakistan's ruling class..
Iran is more responsible country than Pakistan. thumb up if u agree.
Saudi won't be that pleased. Careful.
President Zardari is bringing Iran and Saudia closer on bahrain issue. This visit would also be beneficial for Iran and Pakistan to chalk out strategy for Afghanistan especially the post US afghanistan, and also resolve issues like growing terrorism on the Pak-Iran border and in this region.
How much do you want to bet that item no. 1 on the agenda is going to be 'How to deal with the Great Satan"?