TEHRAN – In a significant diplomatic move, Iran’s president is set to depart for Islamabad early Monday in response to an official invitation from Pakistan’s president.
Ebrahim Raisi will lead a delegation of senior economic and political officials aiming to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.
As reported by Tasnim, Raisi’s itinerary for his two-day visit to Islamabad is packed with important tasks. These include an informal meeting with Shehbaz Sharif after an official reception by the Pakistani Prime Minister and a joint meeting of high-level delegations from both countries.
During this diplomatic mission, the Iranian President will meet with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and participate in discussions with academics, intellectuals, traders and economic activists from various Pakistani cities.
After completing his visit to Pakistan, Raisi will depart for a day trip to Sri Lanka following a formal invitation from President Ranil Wickremesinghe. A highlight of his visit to Sri Lanka will be participating in the opening ceremony and official inauguration of the Uma Oya multi-purpose project with the President of Sri Lanka.
The Uma Oya multi-purpose project, built by an Iranian contractor and featuring two dams and a 120 megawatt power plant, is being hailed as one of Sri Lanka’s largest civil works projects worth around $500 million.
The project aims to improve irrigation of 5,000 acres of agricultural land, transfer 145 million cubic meters of water and generate 290 GW/h of electricity annually.
With funding from the Sri Lankan government, over 400 Iranian engineers played a central role in its implementation, contributing from consulting to design and implementation.
Back in August 2023, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry visited Iran and met with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdullahian in Tehran. At a joint press conference, Iran’s top diplomat called the visit “a turning point in Iran-Sri Lanka relations.”
