President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday welcomed his Iranian counterpart Dr Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi at the President’s House.

“[I am] honoured to welcome my brother President Ebrahim Raisi,” a post on the official X account of the President of Pakistan said.

“We expressed satisfaction at the trajectory of bilateral ties and agreed to further strengthen our dialogue and cooperation to reinforce existing ties.”

He further said that Pakistan and Iran were bound by common religion, history and culture.

Raisi arrived in Pakistan today on a three-day official visit – amid stringent security measures – accompanied by his spouse and a high-level delegation, comprising the foreign minister and other members of the cabinet, senior officials and a business delegation.

He was received by Federal Minister Riaz Hussain Pirzada.

The Iranian president then arrived at the Prime Minister’s House where he was received by PM Shehbaz. He was also presented with a guard of honour.

This is the first visit by any head of state to Pakistan after the February 8 general elections.

According to a FO statement, Raisi will also meet Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.

“He will also visit Lahore and Karachi and meet with the provincial leadership,” it added.

“The two sides will have a wide-ranging agenda to further strengthen Pakistan-Iran ties and enhance cooperation in diverse fields including trade, connectivity, energy, agriculture, and people-to-people contacts,” the FO said.

“They will also discuss regional and global developments and bilateral cooperation to combat the common threat of terrorism,” it added.

“Pakistan and Iran enjoy strong bilateral ties anchored in history, culture and religion. This visit provides an important opportunity to further strengthen Pakistan-Iran relations,” the FO concluded.