Khamenei offers praise to Pakistan

TEHRAN, March 11 (UPI) -- Pakistan and Iran enjoy strong ties and friendly diplomatic relations, Iran's Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told visiting Pakistani officials.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari led a delegation to Tehran in part for a meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization, a 10-member organization of Asian nations.

Khamenei expressed hope that the two countries would improve economic ties by moving on the Pakistan-Iran-Turkey railway and the long-planned Iran-Pakistan-India natural gas pipeline, the Iranian Students News Agency reports.

Zardari met separately with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Afghan President Hamid Karzai to discuss joint cooperation on counter-terrorism and economic development.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said recently Iran may be invited to an international conference on Afghanistan, a sign Washington was seeking to ease its stance on the Islamic republic following years of isolation under U.S. President George Bush.

The Boston Globe reports Wednesday that Washington may make initial efforts to engage Tehran in the form of a letter to Khamenei addressing Iran's controversial nuclear program and its possible role in Afghanistan.