MNA � The Pakistani Foreign Minister said that the accession of the Islamic Republic of Iran to China�Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will be in the interest of the whole region.

In a statement on Friday, Shah Mahmood Qureshi referred to recent developments in the region adding that Iran's participation in the CPEC plan and the Afghan peace process is important, according to official Pakistani sources.

He noted that the presence of Iran in advancing the peace process in Afghanistan will benefit all countries in the region.

Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Pakistan Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini has expressed Tehran�s readiness to participate in the CPEC.

The construction and development of the port of Gwadar in the south of Pakistan's Balochistan province near Iran border plays a key role in achieving the goals of this great economic project in Pakistan.

During his tenth visit to Pakistan in May last year, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif made proposals for connecting the ports of Chabahar and Gwadar.

The initial value of CPEC was $46 billion, which has now grown to $62 billion. This plan, which is in fact a regional communication network, can expand the connections between the countries of the region.

The project aims to promote transport, information technology, interconnected networks, including roads, railways, ports and air communication channels, data and fiber optics, energy cooperation, industrial development, poverty eradication, tourism and public relations.