ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening economic ties with Iran during a meeting with a six-member Iranian delegation led by Seyed Mohammad Atabak.
Sharif said Pakistan highly values its relationship with neighboring Iran and remains committed to promoting regional peace.
He also referred to his recent discussions with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, expressing hope that sustained efforts would help both countries achieve their $10 billion bilateral trade target.
The two sides agreed to enhance border trade by improving facilities for 24-hour border operations, strengthening logistics infrastructure and harmonizing customs procedures.
They also discussed expanding cooperation in the mining sector, particularly in the processing and value addition of precious stones.
The prime minister conveyed his best wishes to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Pezeshkian.
Atabak thanked Pakistan for its warm hospitality and praised Islamabad’s diplomatic efforts to promote regional peace. He said Iran is keen to further expand trade and economic cooperation with Pakistan and confirmed that technical-level negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries are continuing.
Earlier, Pakistan and Iran have agreed to increase bilateral trade to $10 billion, as both sides concluded the 10th session of the Pakistan-Iran Joint Trade Committee in Islamabad.
The three-day meeting was co-chaired by Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan and Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade Seyed Mohammad Atabak.
According to Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce, the two countries reached consensus on key areas of trade, investment and economic cooperation. Technical committees will continue work to ensure the prompt implementation of the agreed measures.
The ministry said both sides made significant progress on the rules governing their preferential trade agreement and mechanisms for tariff reductions. Pakistan and Iran also agreed to strengthen business-to-business (B2B) ties and expand and streamline the barter trade system.
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The two countries further agreed to expedite the inauguration of the Cheedgi-Kohak border market and establish joint committees to ensure the effective management of shared border markets.
