TEHRAN (Mehr News Agency) -– Iran’s trade exchanges with Pakistan are about some $234 million while Pakistan’s exchanges are valued to be some $64 million which is pretty lower than Iran’s.

Pakistan’s Industry Minister in an interview with the economic reporter of Mehr News Agency said that there exists a large gap between the volume of trade, which is practiced by Iran and Pakistan, and measures should be taken to reach trade balance.

 

He expressed hope that in the discussions, which are in progress with Iranian officials, the grounds would be prepared for decreasing the large gap, which exists between Iran and Pakistan trade volumes.

 

While voicing eagerness of his country for increasing the volume of trade, he embarked upon the factors which can boost cooperation among Economic Cooperation Organization members and said that, removal of trade tariffs, rendering facilities for further free trade, transfer of technology and development of the industrial and economic zones in ECO member countries would help increase the volume of trade between ECO members including Iran and Pakistan.

 

Referring to the industrial potentials of Pakistan, he said that Pakistan has some projects under way for development of sugar, cement, leather and automobile factories.

 

He added that his country is keen to cooperate with ECO member countries and neighborhood countries in abovementioned fields.

 

He called for further cooperation of ECO members and said that it has been scheduled to have joint projects with Iran in equipping Uzbekistan and Republic of Azerbaijan oil industries, which are two other members of ECO.

 

He expressed the Ministers summit of ECO member countries as positive, saying that such summits would accelerate removal of obstacles in the way of trade and boost the cooperation between the member states of the organization.

 

HK/IS
END
MNA