Parl. speaker urges further action to reach $10b Iran-Pakistan trade
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said in a meeting with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday that to achieve the goal of reaching $10 billion in trade between the two countries, it is necessary to take more action in the banking, barter, and free trade sectors.
Qalibaf also said executive work must proceed regarding border markets and customs affairs, stressing that customs barriers must be removed, and trade facilitated.
“We in Iran are ready to develop relations,” Qalibaf told Sharif. “Just as we can use your agricultural products, you can also use our energy capabilities. The Iranian government and Parliament have taken steps forward in this direction.”
Pakistan, Iran’s most populous neighbor with bilateral trade exceeding $3 billion, has joined Iran in expressing a determination to boost trade volume to $10 billion through targeted planning and by removing existing barriers.
During the official two-day visit of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Pakistan in August, Tehran and Islamabad signed 12 memoranda of understanding (MOUs) in various sectors.
The agreements cover a wide range of areas, including tourism, agriculture, judicial and legal cooperation, industry, science and technology, transportation and transit, cultural heritage, and commercial and economic cooperation.
Qalibaf on Friday also referred to the support of the people, government, and parliament of Pakistan for Iran during the Israeli-US 12-day war, saying, "I would like to thank the justice-seeking people of Pakistan who, with their high political understanding, stood by the people of Iran alongside the government and parliament of Pakistan during the difficult conditions of the 12-day war. This support will remain in the minds of the people and officials of Iran."
Sharif, for his part, said Iran and Pakistan, as two friendly countries, have always stood by each other in difficult times.
“During Pakistan's recent conflict, the Iranian nation and government stood by Pakistan, and the Pakistani nation and government also stood by Iran during the 12-day war, strongly condemning this crime against Iran and supporting Iran during those days,” he said.
The Pakistani premier stressed that, "During foreign trips and meetings with officials from other countries, we declared the unacceptability of the Zionist regime's attacks against Iran, and I am happy that the war ended with wisdom and prudence from the Leader, people, and armed forces of Iran."
Sharif underlined that Islamabad supports Tehran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy and uranium enrichment, and considers Europe's efforts for the implementation of snapback mechanism unacceptable.