TEHRAN -- Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari will arrive in Tehran tomorrow on his third visit to Iran to attend the International Conference on Campaign against Terrorism.

He will hold bilateral meetings with the Supreme Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a press release from Pakistan’s embassy in Iran stated.
During these meetings, Pakistani president will discuss the whole range of Pakistan-Iran bilateral relations including the IP gas pipeline as well as regional and international issues. The two presidents will also discuss the ways and means to further enhancing ties between the two countries.
On the sidelines of the Conference, Pakistani president will meet with his counterparts from the other member countries and discuss the possibility of further strengthening economic cooperation with these countries.
The main purpose of the conference is to provide an opportunity for exchanging views on the reasons for the growth of terrorist activities, and challenges and obstacles against the fight against terrorism.
Pakistan and Iran have traditionally enjoyed close, cooperative and friendly relations. Iran was the first country to recognize Pakistan after its independence in 1947. Pakistan extended its recognition to the Islamic Republic immediately following the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
Pakistan and Iran share common perception on international and regional issues and closely cooperate in various fora. Both countries are among the founding members of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), which seeks to promote cooperation among the people of the region.
An important feature of the relationship has been contacts at high level interaction between the leadership of the two countries, which has proved invaluable in expanding bilateral relationship as well as providing focus and direction to it. President Ahmadinejad paid an official visit to Pakistan in April 2008. In the past year, there have been a number of Ministerial visits between the two countries. President Zardari paid two visits to Iran in 2009, first one in March 2009 to attend the Tenth Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Summit held in Tehran. During the visit, President Zardari also participated in the 1st Afghanistan-Iran-Pakistan Trilateral Summit. Later President Zardari participated in the 2nd Trilateral Summit, held in Tehran in May 2009. At the end of the Summit “Tehran Declaration” was signed which provides a blue print for wide ranging cooperation between the three sides in a multitude of areas including counter-terrorism narcotics smuggling, energy, transportation etc.
The hallmark of bilateral contacts was meeting of President Zardari and President Ahmadinejad on the sidelines of the 11th ECO Summit in Istanbul in December 2010. A few days earlier Iranian President had called President Zardari asking him to arrest known terrorist involved in Chahbahar terrorist attack and extradite them to Iran.
The commercial and economic relations between Pakistan and Iran constitute an important aspect of their cooperation. These relations are growing with each passing day.
President Zardari’s visit is expected to play an important role in further cementing the abiding relationship between the two brotherly countries.
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