Iran, Pakistan discuss consular relations

Iranian Ambassador to Islamabad Alireza Haqiqian and Pakistani Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in a meeting in Islamabad discussed the consular ties between Iran and Pakistan. During the meeting in Islamabad on Wednesday, the Iranian envoy pointed to the current status of bilateral relations between Tehran and Islamabad, urging the Pakistani minister to remove delays in issuance and extension of visas for the Iranian nationals residing in Pakistan. The Pakistani interior minister, for his part, assured the Iranian ambassador that not only would he address the issues raised by him but he would also open a new chapter in bilateral relations between Iran and Pakistan. Ali Khan noted that his country attaches great importance to its relations with Iran, adding that the two countries have good mutual cooperation in cultural, religious, economic and social fields. Iran and Pakistan exchange delegations on a regular basis and the two neighboring countries are keen to expedite expansion of their bilateral trade ties. In March, Iran and Pakistan officially inaugurated the construction phase of a several-billion-dollar gas pipeline project which is due to take Iran's rich gas reserves to the energy-hungry Muslim country. The project kicked off in a ceremony attended by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari at the two countries' shared border region in Iran's Southeastern city of Chabahar.