Foreign minister leaves for Iran today

Islamabad: Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri will leave for Tehran today for talks with Iranian counterpart Manocher Mottaki on bilateral relations.

The talks during Kasuri's two-day visit would focus on ways to further strengthen cooperation in various fields, the foreign ministry said. The Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and the stalled Middle East peace process would also come under discussion.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said Kasuri would also meet Iranian leaders, parliamentarians, civil society and business representatives. "Pakistan has very close and cordial relations with Iran," she said.