In order to boost bilateral trade and participate in tri-nation dialogues, president of Iran will visit Pakistan in the last week of this month, said Abbas Ali Abdollhi, Consul General of Islamic Republic of Iran.

Addressing a press conference, here on Saturday, he said that a high-level, 60/70-member trade delegation led by Deputy President Iran would be visiting Pakistan on February 6-7.

In the next phase, on February 26-27, President Iran, Ahemdi Nijad would be coming to Pakistan to participate in the tri-nation dialogue as President Afghanistan, Ahmed Karzai will be also in Pakistan.

"We hope these initiatives will push trade between two neighbour countries from $1.2 billion per annum to $10 billion in the decade ahead", he remarked.

Abdollhi observed that Tehran-Islamabad bilateral relation is warming up despite US efforts to damage the amicable and brotherly ties between the two neighbouring Muslim nations.

He said the leaders have expressed their commitment to boost bilateral co-operation in diverse areas with special focus on economic activity includes increasing the supply of Iranian electricity and natural gas supplies to Pakistan.

He furthered that both the countries have already agreed to expedite gas pipeline project, expected to be completed by 2014, as well as export of 10,000 megawatts electricity to Pakistan.

He informed said that under the economic reform plan to overhaul the country's economy, Iran has decided to phase-out energy and food subsidies during the next five years.

Iran has made remarkable achievements in the field of economy despite all the pressure and sanctions imposed by the western countries, he informed.

"Aimed to further boost economic development, Ayatollah Khamenei has called the new Iranian year as the 'Year of Economic Jihad' and asked the nation to make all-out efforts to accelerate the country's economic progress", he highlighted.

Speaking about current threats to the Islamic republic, the CG said basic aim of this conspiracy against Iran, is to fail Islamic revolution in the country, however, added that they want to make it clear that 'Iran is already ready for any war, if imposed'.

He pointed-out, "Iran's nuclear programme is completely peaceful and has always been carried out under the supervision of IAEA.

This programme does not pose any threat to any country due to its peaceful nature", he added.

He furthered Iran firmly believes that all countries of the world have the right to make peaceful use of nuclear energy, and this right should not be monopolised by few countries who intend to have hegemony over world nations.

Therefore, in line with the use of this right, we have always believed that negotiation, dialogue and understanding is the most logical solution for settling the issue, he maintained.

Abdollhi said that Iran have repeatedly announced that WMDs including nuclear weapons do not have any place in Iran's defence doctrine, adding "Iran is the first country that has proposed the plan for making the Middle-East free from nuclear weapons and has always been reiterating its position in this respect".

He said Iran still is committed to its obligations under Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, given the fact that the inspection programme of the agency has been continuing without any obstacle and delay according to the agreement.

He averred that the sanctions will only prove to be a matter of reinforcement for the country, since they only make Iran more determined to materialise its independence, self-sufficiency and advancement of the programmes devised to bring about development in to the country.

Iran is an example of a country that has made considerable advancements through education and training, despite international sanctions in almost all aspects of research during the past 32 years, he said.

"We have so far shown high tolerance and good will for removing ambiguities on its nuclear policies and by adoption of confidence building measures Iran has gone far beyond its obligations.

In fact, Iran has extended its full co-operation with the IAEA inspectors," he said and added that the international community should be concerned about bolstering unilateral approaches to the detriment of multilateral ones.

Speaking about the education sector, he said that one of the most impressive achievements of the revolution has been the spread of the education as Iran's university population has increased from 100,000 in 1979 to more than three million in 2011.

Iran's scientific progress is reported to be the fastest in the world.

Iran has reached considerable progress in different sectors, including aerospace, nuclear science, medical development, as well as stem cell and cloning research, he added.

Elaborating on the flood relief activity, the CG informed that Iran has also donated $100 million for the rehabilitation of flood victims in Pakistan.

It is also the first country to send its interior minister to personally deliver relief items for the flood-hit people in southern Pakistan, which shows the fast growing relationship between the two countries.

On the occasion, he announced to donate four ambulances for relief work in the flood-affected areas of Pakistan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2012

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