He
made the remarks during bilateral negotiations with Pakistani Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif on the first day of his visit to Islamabad on
Friday in which high-ranking members of the two countries including the
Iranian Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh were also present,
according to the website of Presidential Office.
'Completion
and launching of the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline are in the interests of
the two nations and can contribute to the economic development of the
two countries particularly Pakistan,' the president said welcoming
increased cooperation in the fields of energy and electricity.
He
said Iran and Pakistan can increase their bilateral trade to 5 billion
dollars a year and said to this end, relations of the private sectors
need to be facilitated and strengthened.
'Supporting
border markets, connection of transit roads, facilitating free trade
and cooperation of Chabahar and Gwadar ports will increase bilateral
economic cooperation which is the wish of peoples of Iran and Pakistan,'
he added.
Pakistan's
Prime Minister Sharif welcomed expansion of trade to 5 billion dollars
as well as launching the gas pipeline and increasing of ties between
Chabahar and Gwadar ports.
He
also said that Islamabad is ready to cooperate with Tehran against
terrorism and said, 'Government of Pakistan stands beside Iran in the
fight against terrorism and extremism and in eradicating them.'