The President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad flew down to Islamabad on Monday 28 April. The purpose of his Pakistan visit is to get the $7.6 billion gas pipeline through Pakistan to India signed soon. Speaking on this issue, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Sadiq said before the meeting that the gas pipeline will surely be discussed, but its technical details will be deliberated upon independently.  

 

The Iranian President directly headed for a meeting with the Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf after being received at the airport by Water and Power Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. He shall also meet Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani during the four hour visit. On the other hand, India and Pakistan too have recently said that the terms of the gas pipeline project will soon be finalized.

 

The discussion on this IPI gas project has been on for years now. After lots of snags and delays, it got a boost when India and Pakistan embarked on a peace process in 2004. Both countries are scrambling for fresh sources of energy to fuel their swiftly burgeoning economies. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is due to fly to Sri Lanka later on Monday 28 April and then reach India on Tuesday 29 April.