Iran, Pakistan launch joint border market, power transmission line
Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi jointly inaugurated several significant economic projects involving both countries, including the first of six border markets and an electricity transmission line in southeastern Iran.
The inauguration ceremony was held in southeastern Iran on Thursday with Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in attendance, IRNA reported.
The value of the 132-KV transmission line is 2.25 trillion rials (over $5 million), according to the head of the Sistan and Baluchestan electric company.
Mehdi Piri said the joint electricity transmission line between Iran’s Polan and Pakistan’s Jiwani regions will help import and export electricity between Iran and Pakistan, adding that Iran can export up to 100 megawatts of electricity to Pakistan via the line.
The Pakistani PM said that the people of Gwadar Port in Pakistan will benefit from the launch of the Polan-Gabd electricity transmission line.
Extending his gratitude to Iran’s president and ministers of energy of Iran and Pakistan, “who made great efforts for this project,” Sharif added that Raeisi agreed that the two countries should take immediate measures to benefit from the capacity of solar energy to produce electricity.
Raeisi and Sharif also opened the Pishin-Mand market, located in Rask County, on Iran’s southeastern border with Pakistan, in a bid to boost trade ties.
Sistan and Baluchestan’s Border Markets Manager Mobin Ali Mir told IRNA that people living near the border can buy and sell goods worth up to $400 per week in the sustenance market without any need to go through customs formalities.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Pakistan’s prime minister said that throughout their histories, Iran and Pakistan have enjoyed brotherly and friendly relations, a sentiment which was echoed by President Raeisi, who insisted that Tehran and Islamabad have a serious determination to expand bilateral relations.
Raeisi added that the expansion of border markets is a clear example of such determination.
Sharif was quoted as saying in the Pakistani media that he had agreed in his meeting with Raeisi that Iran and Pakistan should enhance bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, information technology, agriculture, power, energy, and other sectors, according to Press TV.
Both Pakistan and Iran are deeply committed to achieving an annual trade volume of $5 billion.
Writing on his official Twitter account on Friday, the Pakistani prime minister said that his country prioritizes the facilitation of the free trade agreement with Iran.
In a tweet posted on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian announced that Iran plans to carry out more joint border projects with Pakistan.
The foreign minister noted that the further development of Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan and the bordering areas in Pakistan will benefit both countries.