Tehran, Islamabad to broaden economic cooperation
Iran and Pakistan are determined to increase cooperation in economic areas, especially in the fields of agriculture, livestock and meat.
Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan Mehdi Honardoust and Pakistan’s Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Sahibzada Muhammad Mehboob Sultan met on Thursday to discuss Tehran-islamabad cooperation, reported Fars News Agency.
According to an agreement reached between the two sides, Iran will import livestock and meat from Pakistan while Pakistan will import required items or goods from Iran.
Honardoust and Sultan also discussed problems pertaining to the exchange of fresh fruits and cooperation in health, herbal and cattle quarantine.
The Iranian diplomat also asked Islamabad to eliminate banking obstacles.
Early in January, it was announced that Tehran and Islamabad were determined to increase trade to $5 billion, and Iran-pakistan free economic zone was expected to open in the city of Mirjaveh in Iran’s Sistan-baluchestan Province.
Iran’s Consul General in the southwestern Pakistani city Quetta Mohammad Rafiei, in a meeting with Chief Minister of the Pakistani province of Baluchistan Jam Kamal Khan on January 7, said that the joint free economic zone will open soon.
In the meeting, both sides agreed that boosting trade between the two neighboring nations would directly benefit ordinary citizens.
Reports further suggested that increasing Pakistan-iran trade to $5 billion remained the focal point of the meeting.
Rafiei and Kamal underlined the need to maintain trade via Pakistan-iran border checkpoints and economic zones to foster bilateral economic relations.
They also discussed the implementation of decisions taken by the Pakistaniran Border Commission and Joint Border Trade Commission.
“Both nations have social, political and cultural relations for decades; therefore, the Iranian government has always given importance to relations with Pakistan,” said Rafiei, describing the Pakistani province of Baluchistan as an important bridge between the two countries.
During the meeting, the Iran’s consul general invited Chief Minister Kamal to visit Iran’s Sistan-baluchestan Province.
“Today, relations between the two countries depend a lot on trade and economic relations with neighboring country can only be strengthened by boosting trade,” said Kamal, adding that unrest in the region had a negative impact on economic stability in Pakistan as well as Iran.
“The federal and provincial governments have been taking measures to enhance trade with Iran,” said Kamal, adding that Islamabad had been making effective strides in curbing drug smuggling and bringing peace to the border areas.
“The tax-free border markets in Pakistan and Iran will boost economic ties between the two countries,” said Kamal.
The chief minister also briefed the Iranian consul general on the security measures taken for pilgrims traveling from Baluchistan to Iran.
On January 4, Pakistan’s Minister for Communication and Works Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province Akbar Ayub Khan, in a meeting with Iran’s Consul General in Peshawar Mohammad Baqer Beigi, expressed his country’s desire to benefit from Iran’s vast experience to develop the country’s infrastructure.
Ayub Khan said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province wanted to cooperate with Iran in technical and engineering sectors to develop its infrastructure especially in building of roads and bridges.
Referring to close ties between Iran and Pakistan, the minister said Islamabad is willing to send a team of experts to Iran to see the country’s progress in building roads, tunnels and bridges.
Beigi said that both countries would overcome problems in bilateral ties, if any, adding that his country is willing to cooperate with Pakistan in infrastructure development.
He said the visit by a team of experts from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province to Iran would be finalized soon and that close cooperation between Iran and Pakistan in the economic sector would benefit the two neighboring states.