NEW DELHI Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is to visit Iran in the second week of April, official sources said here.

Preparations on the significant Vajpayee visit have started and the two nations are working out the final dates.

There have been several high level interactions between the two nations in the last year. India's External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh was in Tehran in May and met with his counterpart Kamal Kharrazi and the Iranian President Mohammed Khatami. As a matter of fact, Mr. Kharrazi and Mr. Singh interacted more than once last year at various international conferences.

From the Iranian side, Deputy Foreign Minister Mohsen Aminzadeh visited India last year. He led the Iranian delegation that held consultations with the foreign office in New Delhi.

The two sides have also been holding regular meetings of their joint commission. They have set up working groups for structured dialogue on specific issues -- bilateral relations, economic and political ties, international developments, cultural cooperation and neutral subjects.

Vajpayee's visit will take place during the three-week break in the budget session of India's Parliament which begins here today. India and Iran have also held a high-level, official meeting recently.

In addition, India and Iran are currently engaged in a dialogue on the setting up of a gas pipeline.

(IRNA)