ISLAMABAD -- A high-level military delegation from Iran will be here next week to explore areas of defense cooperation with Pakistan, a local daily said Friday .

***Dawn**** quoted informed defense and diplomatic sources that the delegation headed by Iran's deputy defense minister would arrive here on Monday.

The Iranian officials will discuss with their Pakistani counterparts defense capabilities of both the countries to see how they could benefit from their respective expertise in the area.

"The visit of the Iranian defense delegation to Pakistan is seen by observers as a distinct sign of a thaw in relations between the two countries that had been strained for several years", the Islamabad based daily said.

"Currently the defense cooperation between the two countries is at a very small level, confined largely to training, naval exercises and some ammunition trade, a senior official told*** Dawn.****** Sources said that Iran had shown keen interest in Pakistan's Mashak training aircraft and Al-Khalid tanks. They said that another potential export from Pakistan to Iran could be gunboats, hinting at a possibility of the two countries entering into a joint venture for defense equipment, IRNA said.

Pakistani officials said that Iran was fairly advanced in the aviation field, Pakistan was interested in the Iranian passenger aircraft that have been operational since early this year.