MNA � Iran�s FM Zarif met and talked with his Pakistani counterpart on the sidelines of sidelines of the seventh Ministerial Conference of the Heart of Asia underway in Baku.


Mohammad Javad Zarif, at a joint meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Khawaja Mohammad Asif, described Pakistan as a major neighboring country for Iran and stressed the need to bolster cooperation in various fields.

The Iranian side said Chabahar and Gwadar ports complemented each other and it would be wrong to describe them as rivals.

Pakistan�s Mohammad Asif, for his part, called for expansion of transport and energy ties between the two countries saying �a Pakistani delegation will pay visit to Chabahar in order to inaugurate the port.�

The two parties at the meeting also emphasized the need to develop banking and transit collaborations.

A total of 14 regional countries, 17 countries supporting the process, and representatives of 12 regional and international organizations will participate in the upcoming seventh session of the ministerial conference to be co-chaired by Afghanistan and Azerbaijan.