ISLAMABAD: Iran is seeking to increase its annual trade with Pakistan to $10 billion, nearly tripling the current volume of bilateral commerce, Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni said during an official visit to Islamabad on Tuesday.
Momeni, who is leading a high-level Iranian delegation, said expanding economic cooperation and cross-border trade is a key priority for both countries. Bilateral trade currently stands at nearly $3 billion annually.
Speaking upon his arrival, the Iranian minister said the visit aims to review the implementation of agreements reached during Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to Pakistan in June and to identify new opportunities for strengthening cooperation in trade and other sectors.
Momeni also called for improving border connectivity by facilitating the daily movement of at least 2,000 trucks or cargo containers through the Pakistan-Iran border, saying increased cargo traffic would help accelerate trade and economic activity between the neighboring countries.
The visit comes as Islamabad and Tehran seek to deepen economic ties, expand cross-border commerce and enhance bilateral cooperation through high-level diplomatic engagement.
More read, Iranian Interior Minister arrives in Pakistan for high-level talks
Earlier, Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni arrived in Islamabad for an official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation and discussing regional security, amid heightened tensions in the Middle East.
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi welcomed Momeni at the airport, where Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam and Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry were also present to receive the visiting delegation.
Momeni is accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes the governor-general of Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province, the deputy interior minister, the deputy minister for urban development and transport, the head of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), the special representative of Iran’s agriculture minister and other senior officials.
