Pakistani President Stresses Iran's Key Regional, Int'l Role

Speaking at a meeting with Tehran's Envoy to Islamabad Mashallah Shakeri on Thursday, Zardari stated that Islamabad believes that the Islamic Republic of Iran has a "significant position in the region and the world, and thus, calls for the expansion of all-out ties with Tehran".

Zardari said that Iran and Pakistan have numerous capacities in the fields of energy, electricity, and railway and can use such potentials to further expand economic ties.

He described Iran and Pakistan as two powerful members of the Muslim world and reiterated that cooperation and convergence in the region can serve the interests of Islamic countries.

"The region needs peace and stability, and Islamabad will also make efforts to bring about calm and security," Zardari stated.

Shakeri, for his part, expressed Iran's readiness to draw on its capabilities in order to promote peace and stability in the region.

Iran and Pakistan have increased bilateral ties and mutual cooperation in different fields.

These bonds of friendship and brotherhood, based on commonality of interests, shared traditions, common faith and Islamic heritage, are destined to grow stronger in the years ahead to the mutual benefit of the two nations.

There is a strong desire of the two peoples to further strengthen the bilateral ties in all fields. These relations have been marked by frequent high-level consultations between the leadership of the two countries.

The leadership and the governments of the two countries are fully committed and dedicated to carry forward the strong bonds of friendship and to utilize the institutional framework already in place for promoting political, economic and commercial relations for the mutual benefit of the peoples of the two countries.

The two governments are determined to continue their efforts to further build on the mutual bonds and commonalities.