By IRNA,
Islamabad : President of Islamic Republic of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was accorded warm welcome when he arrived in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on Monday on a short visit. It is the first of visit of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Pakistan.
Senior Pakistani officials received the Iranian President on his arrival at the military Chaklala air base near Islamabad.
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Minister for Commerce Masoud Mir Kazemi, Chairman of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO) Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei and senior adviser to the president Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi are accompanying him.
Senior officials from the ministries of Oil and Power are also in the president’s entourage.
The special plane of the Iranian president landed at the Chaklala air base at around 9 a.m. local time.
The Iranian ambassador Mashaallah Shakeri was also at the airport along with diplomats of the embassy to receive the president.
The President left for the “Aiwan-e-Sadr” (Presidency) where he will be accorded formal reception.
President Pervez Musharraf will receive Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at Presidency.
A contingent of Pakistani forces will present guard of honor to the Iranian President.
National anthems of both the countries will be played.
Both the president have a meeting after the formal reception and later the Iranian President will proceed to the Prime Minister House for a meeting with the Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani.
The Prime Minister will host a luncheon for the Iranian President and members of his delegation.
Both sides will discuss regional and bilateral matters, focusing on the economic and energy cooperation, especially the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline.