Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali has said that Pakistan's main emphasis at the D-8 Summit in Tehran will be on facilitating member states for their economic development.
"Pakistan's point of view is to offer whatever facilities we can provide to each other in the economic field. This will be our approach. However, Pakistan's interest will be kept supreme," he said in an exclusive interview to APP on Monday.
The prime minister is due to leave for Iran tomorrow (Tuesday) morning to attend the D-8 moot.
He said: "Our team, headed by Senator Dr Hafeez Shaikh, the Minister for Privatisation and Investment, was already in Tehran to attend the Tuesday's ministerial meeting."
The premier said initially the secretaries level meeting was very successful. He pointed out that the draft of Tehran Declaration would be ready by Wednesday.
To a question about the possible agenda of the summit, the prime minister said the main emphasis will be on economic interests and "our effort will be to facilitate each other."
"Basically, most of the D-8 members belong to ECO countries, like Turkey, Iran and Pakistan." He said, "these countries enjoy an added edge in the bloc."
"There is only an economic warfare going on in the world and nothing else and it will be better to offer economic benefits to each other at every world forum and this will be our endeavour at the summit," Jamali added.
PIPELINE PROJECTS: To a question about gas pipeline projects, the prime minister said he had personally talked to Indian Prime Minister AB Vajpayee on Pakistan-Turkmenistan-India and Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipelines.
He pointed out that India had also agreed to these proposals during talks with President Musharraf in Islamabad. "India needs gas more than we do," the prime minister observed.
Jamali said during his last visit to Iran, he had discussed Pak-Iran project with the Iranian President and would again follow up this project.
He said, "the gas can be brought via western areas of Dalbandin and Naukundi, which offer an easy access for gas supply."
Jamali said he had talked to Iran's First Vice-President Dr Arif on this project and there had been an agreement in principle and a draft was also worked out.
He said Iranian President Mohammad Khatami had told him at Geneva that he would send Dr Arif to discuss the gas pipeline project. Dr Arif is to visit Pakistan in next 10 days to discuss this matter.
The premier said that accomplishment of this project would have a good impact on Pakistan's economy.
He said electricity from Iran has already reached Mekran area at a cheaper cost and was benefiting the local people.
To another question, Mir Zafarullah Jamali said he would have a meeting with Iranian President Mohammed Khatami, which will be his third meeting with him during the last five months.
When asked about his meeting with the PSO management on Monday, he said they briefed him about the company's performance.
He said Pakistan State Oil (PSO) is the country's lifeline and he wanted to have an appraisal of their working which was satisfactory and 'they are doing good work'.