ID :
189745
Mon, 06/20/2011 - 10:23
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/189745
The shortlink copeid
Pakistan Underlines Participation in Iran Conference Despite Saudi Disapproval
TEHRAN (FNA)- Pakistan announced that it would attend the upcoming International Conference on Campaign against Terrorism in Tehran, rejecting an earlier request by Saudi Arabia to stay off the meeting.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari along with Minister for Oil and Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain, Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar will represent Pakistan in the meeting that will continue for two days, an official told The Express Tribune.
Saudi Arabia has decided to ignore the Iranian invitation as a mark of their resentment over Tehran's support for the "popular uprising" in Bahrain and its opposition to the Saudi invasion of the tiny Persian Gulf island.
Before the inauguration of the conference, Zardari will hold talks with his Iranian counterpart over the $7.6 billion Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project that will provide a desperately needed supply of energy to Pakistan from 2014.
Discussions will also cover another proposal of electricity supply to Pakistan from Iran.
The talks between the two leaders over the gas project, strongly opposed by the United States, may culminate in a decisive step for the execution of the already delayed project. Iran has already completed the construction of 1,000 kilometers of the pipeline out of the 1,100 kilometers portion on Iranian soil.
Iran has also proposed that an electricity transmission network be built next to the pipeline, connecting the electricity grid of Iran with that of Pakistan.
Additionally, Iran has offered to sell 1,000 megawatts hours of electricity to Pakistan at a subsidized rate.
Saudis conveyed their opposition to the Iranian conference to Islamabad through Pakistan's charge d'affaires in Riyadh last month. The Pakistani envoy was told that Riyadh also planned to host an international conference against terrorism.
The International Conference on Campaign against Terrorism is due to be held in Tehran from June 22 to 23 with officials of more than 80 countries as well as regional and international organizations in attendance.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast had earlier said that in addition to the officials of different countries, a number of presidents of the world states have also been invited as special guests of the conference.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Republic of Benin, Bolivia, Sudan and other countries have also accepted the invitation by the Iranian president.
Mehman-Parast also reiterated that the Islamic Republic of Iran as one of the biggest victims of terrorism is determined to annihilate the ominous phenomenon through cooperation with other countries.
The main purpose of the conference is to provide an opportunity for exchanging views on the reasons for the growth in terrorist activities, and challenges and obstacles to the fight against terrorism.
Iran last month had hosted an international conference dubbed 'International Coalition against Terrorism for Fair Peace' with more than 1,000 Iranian and foreign figures and thinkers in attendance.
The gathering mainly sought creation of mutual understanding, wise thinking and fair and just international efforts to annihilate terrorism.
Also four specialized meetings with the topic of terrorism were held on the sidelines of the conference.
Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmed Vahidi said last month that western countries were the source of spreading terrorism worldwide, adding that western states were violating the territorial integrity of other countries by occupying and destroying them under the pretext of fighting against terrorism.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari along with Minister for Oil and Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain, Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar will represent Pakistan in the meeting that will continue for two days, an official told The Express Tribune.
Saudi Arabia has decided to ignore the Iranian invitation as a mark of their resentment over Tehran's support for the "popular uprising" in Bahrain and its opposition to the Saudi invasion of the tiny Persian Gulf island.
Before the inauguration of the conference, Zardari will hold talks with his Iranian counterpart over the $7.6 billion Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project that will provide a desperately needed supply of energy to Pakistan from 2014.
Discussions will also cover another proposal of electricity supply to Pakistan from Iran.
The talks between the two leaders over the gas project, strongly opposed by the United States, may culminate in a decisive step for the execution of the already delayed project. Iran has already completed the construction of 1,000 kilometers of the pipeline out of the 1,100 kilometers portion on Iranian soil.
Iran has also proposed that an electricity transmission network be built next to the pipeline, connecting the electricity grid of Iran with that of Pakistan.
Additionally, Iran has offered to sell 1,000 megawatts hours of electricity to Pakistan at a subsidized rate.
Saudis conveyed their opposition to the Iranian conference to Islamabad through Pakistan's charge d'affaires in Riyadh last month. The Pakistani envoy was told that Riyadh also planned to host an international conference against terrorism.
The International Conference on Campaign against Terrorism is due to be held in Tehran from June 22 to 23 with officials of more than 80 countries as well as regional and international organizations in attendance.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast had earlier said that in addition to the officials of different countries, a number of presidents of the world states have also been invited as special guests of the conference.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Republic of Benin, Bolivia, Sudan and other countries have also accepted the invitation by the Iranian president.
Mehman-Parast also reiterated that the Islamic Republic of Iran as one of the biggest victims of terrorism is determined to annihilate the ominous phenomenon through cooperation with other countries.
The main purpose of the conference is to provide an opportunity for exchanging views on the reasons for the growth in terrorist activities, and challenges and obstacles to the fight against terrorism.
Iran last month had hosted an international conference dubbed 'International Coalition against Terrorism for Fair Peace' with more than 1,000 Iranian and foreign figures and thinkers in attendance.
The gathering mainly sought creation of mutual understanding, wise thinking and fair and just international efforts to annihilate terrorism.
Also four specialized meetings with the topic of terrorism were held on the sidelines of the conference.
Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmed Vahidi said last month that western countries were the source of spreading terrorism worldwide, adding that western states were violating the territorial integrity of other countries by occupying and destroying them under the pretext of fighting against terrorism.
