TEHRAN - Former President and Co-Chairman of PPP Asif Ali Zardari called on Ali Akbar Wilayati, Adviser to the Rehbar Ayatullah Ali Khamenei on Foreign Affairs and discussed matters of mutual interest with him.
Asif Ali Zarari was in Tehran to participate in the two day first international conference on World Against Violence and Extremism (WAVE) organised by the Iranian Institute of Political and International Studies in the Iranian capital.
The meeting was also attended by Pakistan's Ambassador in Tehran Nur Muhammad Jadmani, spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar and former Tehran Ambassador in Islamabad MashaAllah Shakiri and other senior officials of the Iranian Foreign Office. Talking to Iranian Adviser on Foreign Affairs, Asif Zardari said that there was great potential to further enhance trade and economic relations and greater cooperation in the energy sector between the two countries.
He said that the two countries could mutually benefit from barter trade to ease the pressure on foreign exchange reserves.
He said that surplus wheat in Sindh could be exported to Iran under the barter system in return for building by Iran of some infrastructure projects in the province and commodity imports from Iran.
Regional situation and international situation also came under discussion during the meeting.
Zardari said that the Muslim World was confronted with the great challenge of fighting the militant mindset and said that it could be fought comprehensively with regional cooperation, steadfastness and mounting a vigorous intellectual challenge to the militants narrative and interpretation of religion.
Zardari said that issues in border security between the two countries needed to be tackled through the multi layered institutional mechanisms available for the purpose.
Ali Akbar Wilayati reciprocated the sentiments about deeper Pak-Iran relations. Later, the former President left for Dubai.