President Blames Outsiders for Problems in Region

TEHRAN,May 7 (FNA)- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took trans-regional powers responsible for the existing problems in the region, and urged expansion of cooperation among the regional countries.

"The existing problems in the region have always been imposed on the nations from outside by the foreigners, because the regional nations always lived together through thick and thin for hundreds of years and in a peaceful atmosphere," Ahmadinejad said in a meeting with the visiting Pakistani Senate Chairman Farooq Naik here in Tehran on Thursday.

Ahmadinejad placed heavy emphasis on the need for further expansion of cooperation among the countries of the region, adding that the regional nations should ramp up their cooperation and thwart the enemies' plots by introducing the truth and glory of their cultures.

President Ahmadinejad also called for enhanced cooperation between Tehran and Islamabad, saying that expansion of bilateral ties would be beneficial to both nations and will also have valuable outcomes for the region.

The chairman of Pakistan's Senate, for his part, said that the two nations share common history, culture and religion, emphasizing that Pakistan's government and Senate have put the expansion of ties with Iran high on the agenda.

"Islamic Republic of Iran is a key player in bringing about peace, stability and progress in the region," Naik stated.