Tehran, Islamabad agree to ease border trade, expedite transit
Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni said Iran and Pakistan agreed to introduce measures aimed at simplifying border trade and speeding up transit procedures, as the two neighboring countries seek to expand economic ties and improve cross-border commerce.
Speaking after talks with Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Tehran on Saturday, Momeni said both sides had agreed to facilitate trade and reduce administrative barriers along their shared border.
“One of the main topics of today’s discussions was border trade,” Momeni said, according to remarks published by Iran’s Interior Ministry. “It was agreed that both Iran and Pakistan would implement measures and facilities to shorten procedures and make border exchanges, transit, commodity exchange and trade easier.”
The two countries also discussed the possibility of opening additional border crossings, he added.
Iran and Pakistan share a border stretching roughly 900 km, much of it in remote and underdeveloped areas where security concerns and smuggling have long complicated trade and infrastructure development.
Momeni described the frontier as a “border of friendship, brotherhood and security,” adding that cooperation between the two sides would further strengthen border security.
The meeting comes as Tehran seeks to deepen economic ties with neighboring countries as part of broader efforts to offset the impact of illegal Western sanctions and boost regional trade.
Trade between Iran and Pakistan has remained below the levels targeted by officials from both countries, despite repeated pledges to increase bilateral commerce and improve transport connectivity.
Momeni said both governments were determined to expand not only political relations but also economic and commercial cooperation.
“Necessary facilities must be created on both sides of the border so that this unity, solidarity and brotherhood are strengthened further,” he said.
Naqvi, for his part, thanked Iranian officials for hosting the talks and said the two sides had held extensive discussions on bilateral relations and border security.
“As mentioned, we had detailed discussions on various issues related to Iran-Pakistan relations as well as border security,” Naqvi said. “We hope that with the path we have taken, we will soon reach tangible solutions in these areas.