ISLAMABAD, 26 May 2006 — Iran’s First Vice President Parviz Davoudi arrived here yesterday for talks with Pakistani leaders on a range of issues including the ongoing crisis over Tehran’s nuclear weapons program, even as Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, who met President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz earlier yesterday, reiterated his country was still considering a Russian proposal to enrich uranium outside Iran.
Davoudi was received at the airport by Foreign Minister Mian Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Tariq Azeem Chaudhry. He later met Aziz and the Iranian nuclear program figured strongly in their discussions. Aziz told the senior Iranian vice president that Pakistan favored a peaceful settlement to the nuclear standoff. Later the premier held a dinner in honor of Davoudi.
Davoudi’s visit is aimed at boosting the existing political, economic, trade and cultural relations between Pakistan and Iran. He is to meet Musharraf tomorrow.
Davoudi will discuss bilateral ties and the proposed $7-billion Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project.
Pakistani, Iranian and Indian petroleum officials, who met in Islamabad last Tuesday to discuss the 2,670 kilometer long gas pipeline project, had decided to hold further talks in July in India to work out the “gas-pricing mechanisms.”
Mottaki yesterday said his country was still considering a Russian proposal to enrich uranium outside Iran. State-owned Pakistan Television quoted him as saying in an exclusive interview that Iran would not suspend uranium enrichment but the Russian proposal “to enrich uranium outside” was still under consideration. The report gave no further details.
Mottaki, who was in Islamabad to attend the 2-day Pak-Iran Joint Economic Commission meeting, also spoke on Tehran’s desire to expand cooperation with Pakistan. “We are looking for comprehensive relations with Pakistan and we want to improve our security cooperation,” he said.
Mottaki met Pakistan’s Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Amanullah Khan Jadoon and the joint pipeline figured high on the agenda.
— With input from Agencies
